The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Sikkim on their Statehood Day.
Context
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Sikkim on their Statehood Day.
About the Sikkim Statehood Day
- May 16 is being celebrated as the State Day.
- On this day Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union in 1975.
- Sikkim remains significant from a strategic point of view, given its proximity to Tibet and the crucial Siliguri Corridor that connects India's north-eastern states with the rest of the country.
Formation of a new state
- Article 3 of Indian Constitution addresses the topic of ‘Formation of new States and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing States’.
- It says; Parliament may by law
(a) form a new State by separation of territory from any State or by uniting two or more States or parts of States or by uniting any territory to a part of any State;
(b) increase the area of any State;
(c) diminish the area of any State;
(d) alter the boundaries of any State;
(e) alter the name of any State;
- Article 3 makes it clear that the Parliament is the sole authority on making a decision on a new state.
- President refers the bill to the State Assembly for its views giving it a certain period of time.
- Parliament is not obligated to follow on the views of State Assembly.
- If the State Assembly does not express its opinion within the specified period of time, the bill could be introduced in the Parliament after the expiry of the specified period.
Article 3 provides the following procedure:
- Presidential reference is sent to State Assembly.
- After presidential reference, a resolution is tabled and passed in Assembly.
- Assembly has to pass a Bill creating the new State/States.
- A separate Bill has to be ratified by Parliament.
The bill can be passed by simple majority.
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