UNION AND TERRITORIES CREATED AFTER 1956 #unionanditsterritor | UPSC POLITY NOTES
UNION AND TERRITORIES CREATED AFTER 1956
#unionanditsterritories
SIKKIM
Till 1947, Sikkim was an Indian princely state ruled by Chogyal.
In 1947, after the lapse of British paramountcy, Sikkim became a ‘protectorate’ of India.
In 1974, Sikkim expressed its desire for greater association with India. Accordingly, the 35th Constitutional Amendment Act (1974) was enacted by the parliament.
This amendment introduced a new class of statehood under the constitution by conferring on Sikkim the status of an ‘associate state’ of the Indian Union.
This experiment, however, did not last long as it could not fully satisfy the aspirations of the people of Sikkim.
In a referendum held in 1975, they voted for the abolition of the institution of Chogyal and Sikkim becoming an integral part of India.
Consequently, the 36th Constitutional Amendment Act (1975) was enacted to make Sikkim a full-fledged state of the Indian Union (the 22nd state).
