Gangtok, April 12 -- In a landmark verdict that has sparked fresh debate on Sikkim's unique protective laws, the Sikkim High Court has turned down a plea by more than 100 local women seeking Certificates of Identification (COI) and property rights for their children born from marriages to non-Sikkimese men.

Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai delivered the judgment on April 6, 2026, in the case of Pushpa Mishra & Others versus State of Sikkim. The petitioners, all Sikkimese by birth, had challenged a 2018 government notification and argued that the existing rules violated their constitutional rights to equality and discriminated on the basis of gender.

The women wanted their children to be granted COI status, which would open doors to governmen...