Sikkim, which is one of the seven sister states of the northeastern region of India, shares its boundaries with Tibet and China. Founded in the 17th century as the kingdom of Sikkim by the Namgyal dynasty, it became a part of India in 1975 after a referendum that decided to depose off the monarchy system.
The Himalayan state boasts a wide range of biodiversity and has been steadily growing as a popular tourist spot among travellers. The state has numerous mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers and more than 200 high-altitude lakes. Sikkim also hosts the highest mountain peak of the country and the third highest peak of the world, Kangchenjunga and also about 35% of the geographical region of the state is covered by the Khangchendzonga National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Being located at an ecological hotspot, the geography and altitude of the state help in making it rich in flora and fauna. Sikkim is the largest producer of cardamom in the country and the second-largest in the world. Its hot springs have been known to have therapeutic and medicinal qualities.
Various varieties of rare orchids, rhododendron and oak species are found only here. Apart from being rich in natural vegetation, Sikkim also has one of the least crime rates in the country and is often taken as benchmarking ideal for cleaning standards in public places.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh celebrated Diwali with troops of the 33 Corps in Sikkim, praising their vigilance and sacrifices at Sherathang.
National Students' Union of India activists organised a candle march towards Jantar Mantar along Raisina Road in Delhi, demanding justice for Ankita Bhandari. Protesters raised slogans criticising the appointment of the Sikkim Governor and called for a fast-paced investigation into the case. Demonstrators stated they took to the streets to amplify the concerns of Bhandari's parents. Large contingents of Delhi Police and paramilitary personnel set up barricades along the route to halt the demonstration. The protest follows an earlier demonstration where opposition leaders and student activists gathered before being stopped by police authorities.
The Supreme Court heard petitions challenging the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, issuing notices to the Election Commission and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Justice Surya Kant addressed attempts to pressure the judiciary.
The murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari is back in focus following a sit-in protest at India Gate by her parents, who were visited by Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra before being briefly detained by Delhi Police. The family has issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding that the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as Sikkim Governor be halted, alleging links to the case that warrant ongoing investigation by the CBI. Pulkit Arya and two others were previously sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025. With Uttarakhand elections scheduled next year, Congress has raised questions over the appointment amid the pending probe, while Gautam has dismissed the allegations and initiated defamation proceedings.
The parents of Ankita Bhandari were briefly detained by Delhi Police and later released following an overnight sit-in protest at India Gate. Joined by opposition leaders, the parents staged the demonstration against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dushyant Gautam's appointment as Sikkim Governor, seeking a halt to the decision. The broadcast noted that Gautam's name has not emerged in the investigation so far, and Delhi High Court had previously directed the removal of posts linking him to the 2022 Uttarakhand murder case. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had also met the parents at the protest site.
The Uttarakhand government has rejected claims of a botched investigation into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, stating that swift arrests were made within 24 hours of the complaint, an SIT was set up immediately, and a charge sheet was duly filed against the accused. Meanwhile, Ankita Bhandari's parents and opposition leaders held protests in the national capital, demanding justice and raising allegations regarding the involvement of political figures. The parents also protested at India Gate against the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, demanding the appointment be cancelled. The case remains under investigation to identify the alleged VIP involved.
At Delhi's India Gate, activist Yogita Bhayana and the parents of Ankita Bhandari staged a protest raising concerns over the slow pace of the investigation into her 2022 rape and murder. The demonstration also opposed the appointment of Dushyant Gautam as the Governor of Sikkim, as opposition party leaders and the parents have named him among the accused in the matter. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and several senior Congress leaders and Members of Parliament arrived at the site to express solidarity with the protesting parents. The Ankita Bhandari murder remains a prominent political issue ahead of the upcoming elections in Uttarakhand.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met the parents of Ankita Bhandari alongside activist Yogita Bhayana during a protest at India Gate, where the family demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and questioned the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah clashed politically with the Congress over the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, accusing the opposition of protecting infiltrators for vote banks, while Congress leaders questioned deportation data and alleged voter deletions. In Uttar Pradesh, a Meerut court awarded the death penalty to Muskan Rastogi and Sahil Shukla for the murder, dismemberment, and concealment of Saurabh Rajput's body in a cement-sealed drum following a thirteen-month trial. Legal experts, including former Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Vikram Singh and Supreme Court Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves, analyzed whether the case qualifies as the rarest of rare on India First amid wider political debates on electoral roll revisions.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the parents of Ankita Bhandari near India Gate in New Delhi, extending solidarity as the family staged a dharna. Ankita Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, was found murdered in September 2022. While three men, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were convicted, the family continues to demand a thorough probe into the alleged involvement of a VIP. The latest flashpoint follows the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim Governor, with the victim's parents demanding his punishment and alleging his involvement in the case. The parents also criticised the pace and direction of the Central Bureau of Investigation probe, seeking examination of technical evidence like call records. The political outreach comes ahead of the Uttarakhand assembly elections, returning the high-profile case to the national spotlight.
Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met the parents of Ankita Bhandari alongside activist Yogita Bhayana during a protest at India Gate, where the family demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation inquiry and questioned the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Gautam as Governor of Sikkim.
President Droupadi Murmu has appointed governors for six states in a significant reshuffle. Rajendra Arlekar, who held additional charge since March, has received full charge of Tamil Nadu. Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur has been transferred to Kerala. Among the fresh appointments, Rajmohan Ram has been named Governor of Odisha, Sudha Yadav takes charge of Karnataka, Dhalsingh Bisen has been appointed Governor of Uttarakhand, and Dushyant Gautam has been assigned Sikkim. The appointments mark a major administrative transition across these states.
Discussions on India-Russia bilateral cooperation highlight key technological and strategic sectors, ranging from defence to civilian infrastructure. Panelists examine the changing nature of drone warfare, underscoring the necessity for a substantial inventory and future-proof technologies to counter sophisticated air defence systems. Beyond military hardware, bilateral engagement is expanding into civil aviation, railway coach manufacturing, and agricultural trade, including plans to manufacture civil aircraft in India. The strategic significance of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) is also highlighted as a critical dual-use technology. TBMs are vital for developing underground infrastructure and fortifications in high-altitude border regions across Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. Such underground assets protect ammunition, fuel, and vehicles from drone strikes, enabling rapid military mobilisation along the Line of Actual Control and Line of Control.
India and China are heading into a crucial bilateral summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, marking their first major summit years after the Mahabalipuram meeting. The dialogue reflects cautious optimism, with a firm approach focused on trust and verification following the 2020 Galwan Valley skirmish. While direct flights have resumed and hotlines have been established, core boundary disputes in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh remain sensitive. The discussion highlights that border peace, tranquility, and diplomatic stability are essential to sustaining India's 7.8% economic growth and achieving its target of becoming a 30 trillion dollar economy by 2047. Global cooperation across forums like BRICS, key economic initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and robust military readiness demonstrate India's strategy to safeguard national security while maintaining focus on rapid economic development.
A major landslide in North Sikkim's Mangan district has partially blocked two rivers, the Teesta and the Chiyabong, following a hillside collapse near their confluence along the Naga and Tosa Road. Water accumulation has been reported in both rivers, leading authorities to place lower belt and downstream areas on alert as a precaution. The district administration and police are continuously monitoring river water levels to check for changes in flow or threats of reaching danger levels. While property damage is currently being assessed, officials confirmed that the Teesta River flow remains normal and no casualties or immediate danger to downstream areas have been reported.
A devastating flood triggered by a glacial collapse in Nepal's Rasuwa region near the Nepal-Tibet border has highlighted major risks of cascading Himalayan hazards. In response to rising threat levels from Glacial Lake Outburst Floods, the National Disaster Management Authority has identified 195 vulnerable glacier lakes across Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. India relies on multiple disaster monitoring systems, including Indian Space Research Organisation satellites for remote sensing and terrain mapping, Met Department weather models providing river sub-basin quantitative precipitation forecasts, and Central Water Commission river gauges offering up to 24-hour advance flood warnings. The National Remote Sensing Centre integrates geospatial data into a national emergency database to provide hazard maps and early warnings. However, the Nepal disaster underscores gaps in monitoring high-altitude ice collapses, where one failure sets off a chain of catastrophic events across the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
In an interview with India Today, glaciologist and Vice Chancellor Dr Shakil Ahmad Romshoo discussed the growing risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and hanging glacier breaks across the Himalayas following the disaster in Nepal. He noted that temperatures in the Himalayas have risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius over the last century, significantly exceeding the global average increase of 0.8 degrees. Highlighting the accelerated impact on mountain hydrology, Dr Romshoo stated, "Particularly during the last ten years, the melting of these glaciers has almost doubled," which has driven the rapid expansion of glacial lakes in high-risk zones like the Chenab and Zanskar valleys. He stressed that while outbursts cannot be prevented entirely, authorities must deploy operational early warning systems and sensor networks downstream. He further called for strict implementation of river buffer zones, comprehensive environmental reviews of high-altitude hydropower projects, and regulation of mass tourism and pilgrimages to preserve fragile mountain ecosystems.
The latest episode of Statecraft covers multiple global developments, starting with the escalating border conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The big talking point of this episode of News Today is the final and second phase assembly poll in West Bengal.
During a trip to Sikkim, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seen participating in a game of football alongside budding local talents in Gangtok. He even scored a goal.
In Odisha’s Keonjhar district, a daily wage labourer carried his sister's skeletal remains to a rural bank to claim her savings after being denied access without a death certificate.
