National News

Last week, I visited a karaoke bar in Thimphu, and what I witnessed there left me not only baffled but deeply concerned about the direction our youth seem to be heading. The scene was alarming- young girls, most of them barely out of their twenties, working in an environment that posed significant risks to their physical and mental health. They …

By Kinzang Lhamo According to the Population and Housing Census of Bhutan (PHCB) 2017, hearing was the second-highest form of disability in Bhutan. To address hearing disabilities, the Ministry of Health, with support from the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD), launched the “Hear, Listen, and Speak” program in 2021. This ongoing initiative aligns with the national rollout of …

By Lhendup Wangmo The persistent drinking water crisis in Tsirang Toed Gewog is finally being addressed through a new project that is nearly halfway complete. The initiative aims to provide a consistent water supply to the gewog and neighboring Pungtenchhu Gewog, benefiting approximately 8,500 people. The water is sourced from downstream of Dhap Tsho, situated about 28 kilometers from the …

By Sonam Choden For generations, pineapple farming has been a staple of this region, providing both sustenance and income to local farmers. However, while the fruit itself holds considerable economic value, its leaves have long been discarded as agricultural waste. That is, until one entrepreneur saw potential in what others overlooked. Tashi Wangchuk, an innovative entrepreneur, is spearheading a groundbreaking …

…𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍’𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒔. By Tashi TshewangThe Taba Riverbanks, located in a rapidly expanding suburb of the capital city with increasing housing developments and settlements, are facing a severe environmental crisis as pollution levels continue to rise. Residents and environmentalists are sounding alarms over …

…𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 Bhutan’s civil service has long played a crucial role in governance, ensuring the delivery of essential public services and policy implementation. However, recent data from the Civil Service Statistics 2024 suggests that the growth of the civil service is slowing, raising concerns about whether current …

Nearly a year has passed since the new government rolled out its Economic Stimulus Plan (ESP), a bold initiative intended to reignite the national economy by injecting much-needed financial support into businesses. The goal was clear: to help businesses weather the economic storm, pay off debts, and stimulate growth. However, as the first window of the ESP nears completion and …

By Tashi Tshewang Trongsa’s Yid-Zhin Throm was officially inaugurated on March 26, marking a significant milestone in the region’s development. The facility is designed to serve as a vibrant economic and social hub, offering essential services such as a vegetable market, a community hall, a sales counter for indigenous and highland products, and a milk processing unit. The initiative aims …

…𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚’𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚, 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒓𝒖𝒑𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔, 𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌. By Kezang Choden Bhutan’s glaciers, which cover only about one percent of the country’s land area, play a crucial role in sustaining its major river systems. However, due to the accelerating impacts …

By Sonam Choden The Film Association of Bhutan (FAB), with funding from the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority (BICMA) through the Economic Stimulus Programme, organized a comprehensive workshop aimed at promoting the use of the Dzongkha language and fostering the principles of Driglam Namzha within Bhutanese film industry. The workshop sought to equip filmmakers, actors, and industry professionals with the …