The Centre has formed a committee to work out a "permanent political solution" to the Gorkha issue in the Darjeeling hills. It is headed by Pankaj Kumar Singh, former Deputy National Security Adviser, who was named interlocutor for talks with Gorkha representatives in October 2025. The panel will look at demands on identity, self-rule and constitutional recognition of the Gorkha community. The Gorkhaland movement seeks a separate State of the Darjeeling hills and parts of the Terai and Dooars. Darjeeling is strategically vital owing to its closeness to the Siliguri Corridor linking mainland India and the Northeast.