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…𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒗𝒊𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒆𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒔 By Tashi TshewangA record 5,095 graduates have registered for Bhutan’s 2025 Preliminary Examination (PE), surpassing the previous high of 4,400 recorded in 2020 and exceeding last year’s 4,083 applicants. This significant rise underlines a growing interest among youth in joining the civil service. The pool comprises 2,626 women …

…𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒇𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 By Leki Chungdon Samdingkha Basic Health Unit (BHU) in Punakha Dzongkhag provides essential health services to Toedwang and Chhubu Gewogs, as well as one chiwog from Dzomi Gewog, but it operates with only three staff members. Currently, two health assistants and one traditional health assistant are responsible …

…𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑪𝒉𝒉𝒐𝒌𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒅 By UgyenThinleyFalling prices, poor weather, and concerns over fairness in the auction process have affected this year’s Cordyceps collection season in Chhokhor Gewog, Bumthang, leaving many collectors struggling to earn from what is often their only source of income. Only 566 collectors participated this year. The …

…𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 By Sonam Choden Since it began operations in 2014, the dairy processing plant in Mongar has been a working example of women-led rural enterprise. Managed by the Zhonggar Nazhoen Gonor Gongphel Detshen, a community collective, the initiative started with thirteen members- twelve women and one man. Today, …

…𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒚𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒆 By Kinzang Lhamo In response to ongoing concerns about poor market infrastructure affecting vendors and buyers, the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (DAMC), working with Kaja Thromde, has started significant development work at the wholesale vegetable market in Babesa, Thimphu. The project aims to improve conditions …

…𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒕𝒔𝒆 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 By Leki Chungdon In Singyegang village, Tashicholing Gewog, Samtse Dzongkhag, dragon fruit cultivation is emerging as a promising agricultural venture that offers potential for income diversification and increased local fruit production. Currently, only one farmer in the gewog grows the fruit, but the initiative led by K.N …

Karma Thinley Months after the rollout of Bhutan’s Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP), its impact on the ground remains largely invisible. Conceived as a recovery initiative for individuals and sectors affected by the COVID-19 pandemic- not to launch new businesses- the ESP was expected to restore livelihoods, reinvigorate economic activities, and generate employment. Yet, judging by the current economic climate and …

…𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 By Yeshey DolmaIn January 2025, Bhutan recorded over 470,000 active social media users, according to DataReportal. This represents more than 59 percent of the country’s total population. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook have become a regular part of daily life, enabling …

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 By Tashi Tshewang Samtse Dzongkhag marked a significant milestone in its waste management efforts with the inauguration of its Plastic Waste Recovery Center, which includes a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and a conveyor unit. Officially opened by the Dzongdag, the center aims …

The rapid rise of digital content creation across the globe has opened new avenues for economic growth, job creation, and cultural exchange. In many countries, social media platforms are no longer just spaces for entertainment or social interaction- they have become vital sources of income and entrepreneurship. Yet, not all nations are positioned to fully benefit from this global shift. …