3 November 2026
Dushyant Gautam, the newly appointed Governor of Sikkim, visited the new Sir Thuthob Namgyal Memorial Hospital in Gangtok soon after taking office. He went through the wards, met patients and inspected the basic facilities. The Governor then held a review meeting at the hospital with the Secretary of the Health Department, Chevanga Gyatsao, and the Medical Superintendent, Dr Ruth Yonjan, going into the hospital's infrastructure, the stock of life-saving medicines and the working of doctors and paramedical staff. He also visited the newly built Helen Lepcha Government Medical College, offered a khada at the statue of the freedom fighter Helen Lepcha, and looked at the laboratories and teaching work before meeting the college's first batch of students. The Commissioner and Joint Secretary, Jitendra Singh Raje, accompanied him. The Governor asked the students to take health services to the far-flung areas of Sikkim.
Hospital visited:
Sir Thuthob Namgyal Memorial Hospital, Gangtok
Medical college:
Helen Lepcha Government Medical College
Why it matters for exams: The Governor of Sikkim is Dushyant Gautam, and Helen Lepcha was a freedom fighter from Sikkim after whom the State's new government medical college is named.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
STNM Sir Thuthob Namgyal Memorial Hospital — Sikkim's main government hospital, in Gangtok.
3 November 2026
Governor Dushyant Gautam visited the Handicraft and Handloom Department in Gangtok and asked officials to take the branding and marketing of Sikkim's products to the national and international level. The Secretary of the department, Karmada Doma Yutsu, and its Director, T. T. Bhutia, briefed him. He went through the weaving section, where artisans make woollen textiles in traditional Sikkim designs, the multicraft and handicraft training sections, the wood carving section, the thanka painting section where trainees work in natural colours on Buddhist philosophy and spiritual art, and the mask making section. The Governor spoke to trainees and trainers, asked about the designs made for market demand and about the self-employment available after training. He said such handicrafts keep Sikkim's cultural identity alive, strengthen the local economy, create self-employment for rural youth and promote women's empowerment.
Department visited:
Handicraft and Handloom Department, Gangtok
Why it matters for exams: Thanka painting and traditional mask making are the signature crafts of Sikkim's Handicraft and Handloom Department, a recurring art and culture question for the North East.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Thanka A Buddhist scroll painting — A painted Buddhist scroll made in natural colours, a traditional Sikkim craft.
3 November 2026
The Planning and Development Department of the Government of Sikkim held a district-level dialogue on the Sikkim Vision 2047 document at the District Zilla Panchayat Bhawan conference hall in Gangtok, in coordination with the district administration. The State is preparing the Vision 2047 document to set out a collective view of its long-term development through a participatory approach, and the dialogue was meant to gather views and recommendations from a wide range of people so that the Vision reflects their priorities. Zilla Panchayat Adhyaksha Bala Ram Adhikari and District Collector Agawane Rohan Ramesh attended, along with the Additional District Collector, education and health officers, Block Development Officers and Panchayat Presidents. Teachers and principals from Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College and Sikkim Government Law College took part, as did students from government and private senior secondary schools, self-help group members, entrepreneurs and representatives of voluntary organisations. The coordination was done by Joint Secretary Abhijeet R. Patil with sector experts from the State Support Mission.
Venue:
District Zilla Panchayat Bhawan, Gangtok
Department:
Planning and Development Department
Why it matters for exams: Sikkim Vision 2047 is being prepared by the State's Planning and Development Department, and the 2047 horizon matches the Viksit Bharat target year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
2 November 2026
A week-long camp for Aadhaar enrolment and updation together with bank account seeding has begun in Gyalshing district of Sikkim and will run to 7 November. The camp marks the celebration of Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas. It is funded by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs and has been organised by the Social Welfare Department in collaboration with the District Administrative Centre, Gyalshing. The camp is being held at three venues, the DESME office in Gyalshing district and the block administrative centres at Dentam and Chongrang. Its aim is to ensure extensive Aadhaar enrolment of tribal students studying in Class X and below, so that their bank accounts can be linked and welfare payments reach them without delay. The Social Welfare Department says the camp will also help update existing Aadhaar records. Enrolment and bank seeding are being done together so that a student's account is ready as soon as the Aadhaar number is issued.
Camp period:
2 November to 7 November 2026
Target group:
Tribal students of Class X and below
Why it matters for exams: Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs are standard questions on tribal welfare observances and their nodal ministry.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
1 November 2026
The Sikkim Adventure Tourism Fest 2026, the State's first such festival, has opened at Linkhim Tar, Namthang, in Namchi district, and runs to 7 November. It began with the flag-off of a seven-member bungee jumping team from Sikkim going to Nepal for exposure and training, an initiative of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department meant to build local expertise in adventure tourism. MLA-cum-Advisor of the Power Department, Sanjeet Kharel, flagged off the team and also launched giant volleyball and motocross racing at the venue. He said rafting, zorbing, parasailing, motocross racing and jungle adventures were opening new opportunities for local youth. The week-long event features hot air ballooning, river rafting, paragliding, parasailing, zorbing, horse riding and all-terrain vehicle riding, along with jungle activities and food stalls. The Chairman of the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation, Lukendra Rasaily, and the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Raj Yadav, were present.
Dates:
November 1-7, 2026
Venue:
Linkhim Tar, Namthang, Namchi district
Bungee team:
Seven members, trained in Nepal
Why it matters for exams: This is Sikkim's first Adventure Tourism Fest, run by the State's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, and Namchi is one of Sikkim's six districts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
STDC Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation — The State corporation that runs Sikkim's tourism services.
30 October 2026
The State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute of Sikkim's Agriculture Department, with Krishi Vigyan Kendra East, held the PM-KISAN Utsav Diwas programme and inaugurated the Khet Bachao Abhiyan at its conference hall at Lingding. The day marks the release of instalments of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, and the Prime Minister released the 24th instalment nationwide from Banaskantha in Gujarat in a live telecast. A total of ₹4.47 lakh crore has been transferred to eligible farmers across 23 instalments so far, and the 24th instalment worth over ₹18,690 crore is going to 9.34 crore beneficiary farmers. The Khet Bachao Abhiyan, or Save the Farm Campaign, is a nationwide initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture to protect soil health, promote natural farming and curb the overuse of chemical fertilisers. The Agriculture Minister of Sikkim was chief guest and highlighted the State's role as an organic State. The Secretary for Agriculture said over 36,323 farmers in Sikkim benefit from PM-KISAN.
Instalment released:
24th instalment
Value of the instalment:
over Rs 18,690 crore
Beneficiaries:
9.34 crore farmers
Total transferred so far:
Rs 4.47 lakh crore over 23 instalments
Why it matters for exams: PM Kisan Samman Nidhi instalment figures, the Khet Bachao Abhiyan of the Ministry of Agriculture and SAMETI as a State extension training institute are all exam-ready facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SAMETI State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute — The State-level institute that trains agricultural extension staff.
2 November 2026
The buildings at the campus of the Sikkim State Cooperative Union at Assam Lingzey, handed over to Sikkim National Law University in May 2025 so that the university could be set up and start work, have been formally handed back to the Union. The original handover was made under a Government of Sikkim order of April 2025 and covered a guest house, the Director's quarter, the ground floor of the administrative building and Class-II quarters. The return ceremony was attended by the Chairman of the Sikkim State Cooperative Union, Mangal Jit Rai, the Vice-Chancellor in charge of Sikkim National Law University, Professor Rajendra Dhar Dubey, the Union's Vice-Chairman Purna Prasad Sharma and its Chief Executive Officer Shaileah Rai, along with university officers. The Union says the return lets it use its own buildings again for its administration, co-operative education, professional training and capacity building, particularly under its affiliation with Tribhuvan Sahkari University. The campus at Assam Lingzey is an important institutional centre for co-operative education, training and development in the State. The Union has placed on record its thanks to the Co-operation Department and the Law Department of the Government of Sikkim and to the university for the arrangement.
Place:
Assam Lingzey, Pakyong
Buildings returned:
Guest house, Director's quarter, ground floor of the administrative building, Class-II quarters
Why it matters for exams: Sikkim National Law University and Tribhuvan Sahkari University, the national university for co-operative education, are the durable institution names here.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SICUN Sikkim State Cooperative Union — The State-level union for co-operative education and training in Sikkim.
2 November 2026
The Price Monitoring Cell of Sikkim's Department of Food and Civil Supplies held a workshop at its Gangtok headquarters on monitoring the prices of essential commodities. Supriya Saxena, Director in the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, attended and stressed daily price reporting. The Union department had directed State governments to set up Price Monitoring Cells, and Sikkim did so through its Food and Civil Supplies Department. Secretary Bhim Thatal said daily prices were first collected only from Gangtok but the reporting centres have covered all six districts of the State from 2024-25 onwards, with the Union department giving financial assistance. The Cell collects wholesale and retail prices from three designated shops in the open market in each district, enters them in the Price Monitoring System and uploads them to the Ministry's portal. The national system tracks 41 essential commodities; Sikkim collects prices for 33 items according to local demand.
Commodities tracked nationally:
41 essential commodities
Items collected in Sikkim:
33 items
Shops per district:
Three designated shops
Why it matters for exams: The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution monitors 41 essential commodities through State Price Monitoring Cells, and Sikkim has six districts.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
PMC Price Monitoring Cell — A State cell that reports daily wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities to the Centre.
2 November 2026
At the Lumgor GPK Hall in Dzongu, the Mangan District Industries Centre of Sikkim's Commerce and Industries Department ran a day's session explaining State and central schemes, and financial literacy, to micro, small and medium enterprises. Resource persons made detailed presentations on the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 and on the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme, PM Vishwakarma, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, digital marketing, the Open Network for Digital Commerce, the Government e-Marketplace and the Udyam Registration Portal. Participants were briefed on eligibility, benefits and application procedures, and on preparing Detailed Project Reports to get institutional support and finance. A session on financial literacy and credit discipline covered financial planning, responsible borrowing and saving, and caution in digital transactions. The Officer on Special Duty of the Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department was chief guest and the Panchayat President of Lum Gor Sangtok was guest of honour. Participants were also warned to be careful with digital and online financial transactions in view of fraudulent calls and messages. The Assistant Director for MSME in his welcome address said such programmes promote self-reliance, innovation and employment generation.
Venue:
Lumgor GPK Hall, Dzongu
Organiser:
District Industries Centre, Mangan
Why it matters for exams: PMEGP, PM Vishwakarma, ONDC, GeM and the Udyam Registration Portal are the standard MSME scheme and portal names, and the Sikkim Startup Policy 2025 is the State's own policy.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
PMEGP Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme — A credit-linked subsidy scheme for setting up micro enterprises.
ONDC Open Network for Digital Commerce — A government-backed open network that lets small sellers reach buyers online.
30 October 2026
Sikkim's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department set up a tourism stall at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat for the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations, and the Prime Minister visited the stall as the celebrations were inaugurated. Officials took him through the State's leading tourist spots and travel experiences and through its culture, dwelling in particular on Sikkim's handicraft and handloom goods. The stall displays Sikkim's artistic traditions and indigenous craftsmanship along with brochures on its attractions. Assistant Director Peden Bhutia spoke of the Vocal for Local idea and the State's commitment to promoting indigenous products, preserving traditional craftsmanship and giving local artisans greater visibility, under the guidance of the Chief Minister. The event at Ekta Nagar is scheduled from 1 to 15 November 2026 and will keep giving visitors from across the country a look at Sikkim's cultural diversity and tourism offerings in the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat. The department says taking part in a national platform of this kind helps show the State's distinctive identity and strengthen its place on the national tourism map.
Venue:
Ekta Nagar, Gujarat
Event period:
1 to 15 November 2026
Why it matters for exams: Ekta Nagar in Gujarat is the venue of the Rashtriya Ekta Diwas celebrations, and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat is the Union government's cultural exchange programme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 October 2026
The second day of the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival 2026 concluded at Ridge Park in Gangtok with literary, cultural and musical programmes. The author and historian William Dalrymple gave a lecture on his book The Golden Road, in which he argued that ancient India was an important centre of trade, knowledge and cultural exchange. His talk covered sea trade between India and Rome, the spread of Buddhism, the standing Nalanda University once held abroad, and the reach of Indian mathematics; the writer Prajwal Parajuly introduced the book. In a session facilitated by Dr Rosy Chamling, who heads the languages and literature faculty of Sikkim University, the writers Mamang Dai, Chetanraj Shrestha and Dhruv Hazarika spoke on literary tradition, cultural diversity and writing drawn from local folklore. Parallel sessions ran at the White Memorial Hall, workshops were held on painting, music, Himalayan theatre, story writing and book design, and the Lepcha folk and fusion band Sophium and the band Indian Ocean performed. The day's sessions also took up translation, the challenges of book publishing, the link between theatre and literature and the preservation of local stories. Musicians Kartikeya Vashishtha and Makarand Sonani opened the day with Indian classical and folk music on instruments including the flute, murchunga and algoza.
Venue:
Ridge Park, Gangtok
Book discussed:
The Golden Road
Why it matters for exams: The Golden Road is by William Dalrymple, Mamang Dai is a well-known North East writer, and Sikkim University is the State's central university.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
When Sikkim inaugurated the Khet Bachao Abhiyan at its agriculture training institute, its ministers pointed to the State's standing as an organic State. Sikkim became India's first fully organic State in 2016, banning chemical fertilisers and pesticides to promote sustainable agriculture, and that bold step placed it on the global map as a leader in green governance. Sikkim became the 22nd State of India in 1975 after a peaceful political transition, and its earlier history was shaped by ancient kingdoms, spirituality and monarchs. It lies in the cradle of the eastern Himalayas, is India's second smallest State in area and its least populous, and shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China, which makes it a bridge between India and the rest of the Himalayan world. It is the home of Mount Khangchendzonga, the third-highest peak on earth, venerated in Sikkim not only as a mountain but as a protective deity watching over the State and its people. Sikkim is also described by its own government as a land of spiritual quietude, ecological abundance and a cultural mosaic in the misty embrace of the Himalayas. In the decades since it joined the Union it has been held up as a model of progressive governance and ecological foresight.
Became a State of India:
22nd State, in 1975
Fully organic:
India's first, in 2016
International borders:
Nepal, Bhutan and China
Why it matters for exams: Sikkim as the 22nd State of India in 1975, India's first fully organic State in 2016, its borders with Nepal, Bhutan and China, and Khangchendzonga as the third-highest peak on earth are the most asked facts about the State.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC