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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