National News

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊-𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒉𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑷𝒉𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 By Kezang Choden With flat ownership becoming increasingly common in urban areas such as Thimphu and Phuentsholing, the government is preparing to introduce strata rules to regulate the management and maintenance of buildings with multiple owners. This move responds to growing concerns over …

…𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒖𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 By Kinzang Lhamo Thousands of Bhutanese vehicles, estimated between 3,000 and 4,000 daily, travel along highways in Assam and West Bengal, forming a critical route for cross-border trade and connectivity. Despite the importance of these roads, Bhutanese drivers and vehicle owners continue to face persistent challenges related …

By Kinzang Lhamo Farmers in Metakha Gewog can now look forward to a future of reliable irrigation, thanks to the launch of the Kuenphenzhingchu Irrigation Project, a significant initiative funded by the Government of India through the GOI-PTA initiative. The Nu 35.15 million project features a modern mechanized irrigation system spanning 3.28 kilometers, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity and improving …

…𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒌 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒅𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒈𝒔 By Sonam Choden The dairy sector in eastern Bhutan has undergone a notable transformation through strategic interventions under the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP). This government-led initiative, supported by various development partners, has strengthened dairy value chains across Dzongkhags including Mongar, Trashigang, Lhuentse, and Samdrup Jongkhar. …

…𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 By Kezang ChodenDespite the Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) being upgraded to the Royal Institute of Performing Arts (RIPA) and its ongoing efforts to safeguard Bhutan’s intangible cultural heritage, youth participation remains limited. RIPA has announced its upcoming training session three times through public notifications, but only a …

…𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝑳𝒉𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 By Sonam Choden Institutional support is playing a growing role in enabling youth-led agricultural ventures in rural areas. The case of Karma Wangdi, a young farmer from Lhuentse, shows how assistance from the Commercial Agriculture and Resilient Livelihoods Enhancement Programme (CARLEP) supported by the International Fund …

By Kezang Choden The Royal Bhutan Police (RBP), in collaboration with the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB), conducted a sensitization and awareness session for hotel owners, managers, and staff from Thimphu, Paro, Wangduephodrang, and Chukha. The session aimed to address growing concerns related to crimes and drug-related issues within the hotel industry. The program focused on the challenges …

…𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆𝒕𝒚-𝒅𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 By Kinzang Lhamo Paro International Airport, Bhutan’s only international gateway, is set for a major infrastructure expansion aimed at improving aviation safety and accommodating increasing air travel demand. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has announced a comprehensive plan that includes land acquisition, zoning regulation, runway extension, …

…𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 13𝒕𝒉 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆-𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏 By Kinzang LhamoA 35-kilometre road linking Merak Gewog in Trashigang Dzongkhag to Lauri Gewog under Jomotshangkha Dungkhag in Samdrup Jongkhar, promised under the 13th Five-Year Plan, has been postponed, with construction now expected to begin only in 2040. The delay, despite the road’s potential to …

…𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒃𝒊𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 By Leki Chungdon Trashigang is preparing to host the first-ever Bhutan Glory Chess Tournament on July 1, 2025, a unique event that brings together students, educators, conservationists, and local leaders to promote biodiversity awareness and cognitive development through the game of chess. Set in …