The Sixth Schedule to the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill, 2007 was tabled in the parliament in the last week of November 2007. The overall aim of the bill on paper is to protect the socio-cultural identity of the people residing in Darjeeling hills and speeding up the overall development in the region. Majority of the people of Darjeeling hills, are however, skeptical with regard to the long-term political objective of the West Bengal in expediting the process of Sixth Schedule. What is Sixth Schedule? Evidently, the provisions under the Sixth Schedule to the Constitutions were historically evolved to administer the tribal majority areas in the States of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura through the district council or the regional councils. However, an exception was made in case of Bodo Territorial Council (BTC) located in the state of Assam when the area was accorded Sixth Schedule status even though the members of the Scheduled Tribe Communities were not in Majority and re...
Proud to be a Sikkimese is the definitive digital encyclopedia of Sikkim State. Since 2007, we have archived the rich heritage of the Himalayas, from the history of the Namgyal dynasty to the vibrant cultures of the Lepcha, Bhutia, and Nepali communities. Explore expert insights on Sikkim travel, Buddhist monasteries, folklore, and biodiversity.