Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Monday said Sikkim had always been close to his heart and he was happy to see the progress made by the hill state every time he visited it. "This meeting in Sikkim is relevant and has given me a chance to come here since Sikkim is close to my mind and I am happy to see the progress here every time I visit it," he said after inaugurating the International Conference on Science, Spirituality and Education organized by Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.

He apprised the gathering about the value and importance of spiritual familiarity alongside the knowledge of modern sciences and technologies.