1. SIKKIM
THE LANDOF PEACEOF TRANQUILITY

2.  In 2000, the seventeenth Karmapa, Urgyen Trinley Dorje, who had been
confirmed by the Dalai Lama and accepted as a tulku by the Chinese government,
escaped from Tibet, seeking to return to the Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim. Chinese
officials were in a quandary on this issue, as any protests to India would mean an
explicit endorsement of India's governance of Sikkim, which China still recognised
as an independent state occupied by India. The Chinese government eventually
recognised Sikkim as an Indian state in 2003, on the condition that India officially
recognise Tibet as a part of China;New Delhi had originally accepted Tibet as a
part of China in 1953 during the government of Jawaharlal Nehru. The 2003
agreement led to a thaw in Sino-Indian relations and on 6 July 2006, the
Sikkimese Himalayan pass of Nathu La was opened to cross-border trade,
becoming the first open border between India and China.The pass, which had
previously been closed since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, was an offshoot of the
ancient Silk Road.
 On 18 September 2011, a magnitude 6.9M earthquake struck Sikkim, killing at
least 116 people in the state and in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Tibet. More
than 60 people died in Sikkim alone, and the city of Gangtok suffered significant
damage.
Flag of Sikkim during its
independent monarchy
Guru Rinpoche, patron saint of
Sikkim

3. Strong floriculture
sector
Strong potential of
medicinal plants
industry
Second-largest producer
of cardamom
 Sikkim is home to around 5,000 species of flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species
& 36 rhododendron species. This makes it one of the leading states in the Northeast region in
terms of production & supply of cut flowers to mainland consumer markets.
 Of the 6,000 medicinal plants in India, over 424 plants (including the famous Artemisia vulgaris
that is used as an antiseptic) are grown in Sikkim. Moreover, it is all set to be recognised and
certified by the Government of India under National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) proposed
under the 12th Five Year Plan.
 The state is considered as a huge cardamom epicentre of the world, producing around 80 per
cent of large cardamom in the country. Additionally, India is the world leader of the crop,
producing over 50 per cent of the global yield.
Agrarian economy
 The state's economy is largely agrarian, based on the terraced farming of rice & the cultivation
of crops such as maize, millet, wheat, barley, oranges, tea & cardamom.
 Sikkim produces more cardamom than any other Indian state & is home to the largest
cultivated area of cardamom.

4.  Sikkim is surrounded by vast stretches of Tibetan
Plateaus in the north, the Chumbi Valley of Tibet & the
Kingdom of Bhutan in the east, the Kingdom of Nepal in
the west & Darjeeling district of West Bengal in the
south .
 Sikkim has 4 districts – East Sikkim, West Sikkim, North
Sikkim & South Sikkim. The district capitals are
Gangtok, Gyalshing, Mangan & Namchi respectively .

5. NORTH EAST REGION VISION 2020
• FOCUSING AND DEVELOPING
SERVICES THAT WOULD
PROMOTE TOURISM AND
CREATE EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE STATES.
• IMPROVING THE QUALITY AND
CREATING STATE-OF-ART
HOSPITALS AND EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTIONS.
• STATE GOVT. HAS SET A TARGET
TO GROW A GDP BY 9.5% AND
PER CAPITA GDP BY 8.3% OVER
THE PERIOD 2007-2020
• CREATING A CENTRE FOR TRADE
AND COMMERCE THROUGH
IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH
NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
PROMOTING
INVESTMENTS
GROWTH RATE
IN GDP
TOURISMQUALITY OF
LIFE OF PEOPLE
VISION
2020

7.  The official languages of the state
are English, Nepali, Sikkimese (Bhutia) and Lepcha.
Additional official languages
include Gurung, Limbu, Magar, Mukhia, Newar, Rai, and
Tamang for the purpose of preservation of culture and
tradition in the state.
 Nepali is the lingua franca of Sikkim, while Sikkimese
(Bhutia) and Lepcha are spoken in certain areas. English is
also spoken and understood in most of Sikkim. Other
languages
include Dzongkha, Groma, Hindi, Majhi, Majhwar, Thulung
, Tibetan, and Yakha.

8. The majority of Sikkim's residents are
of Nepali ethnic origin.The native Sikkimese consist
of the Bhutias, who migrated from the Kham district
of Tibet in the 14th century, and the Lepchas, who
are believed to pre-date the Bhutias and are the
oldest known inhabitants. Tibetans reside mostly in
the northern and eastern reaches of the state.
According to the 2011 census, 57.8% follow Hinduism,
making it the state's majority religion. Buddhism is
followed by 27.4% of the population,
while Christianity is followed by 9.9%. There are
many Hindu temples throughout the state.
•Orange: Hinduism: 81.5%
•Green: Islam: 12.3%
•Purple: Christianity: 2.33%
•Red: Sikhism: 2%
•Blue: All others: 2%

9.  Elementary education is a fundamental right for the children upto the age of
14 years. It is through elementary education that every child can learn
reading, writing and numeracy. In government schools the Central and State
government provides free and compulsory education for every child .
 The system of Education in Sikkim also based on education policy of the
Nation. To achieve the goal of elementary education, various interventions like
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan have been launched in the State of Sikkim in the year
2001. The objective of this intervention is to provide education to all children
in the State by providing basic infrastructures. . Sikkim has four distinct stages
in school education. These are the primary (I-V), upper primary or middle,
commonly known as junior high (VI-VIII), secondary (IX-X) and senior
secondary (XI-XII) stages. Prior to the primary stage, there is the pre-primary
stage.