National News

…𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒈𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 𝒂𝒅𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒘𝒐𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚. By Kezang ChodenMembers of Parliament have called on Chiwog Tshogpas to take a stronger and more active role in identifying and resolving issues at the grassroots level, emphasising that without their involvement many concerns risk going unnoticed. Tshogpas, they noted, …

…𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒐𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔 By Yeshi Dolma Bhutan’s population is aging rapidly. By 2040, the elderly are expected to make up 14 percent of the population. Yet, pensions cover only a fraction of workers: eight percent of civil servants and state enterprise employees. For the rest, old age …

A nation’s progress is measured not only by economic growth but also by how it safeguards the well-being of its most vulnerable citizens. As population’s age and urbanization accelerates, the gaps in social protection systems become more apparent. Pension schemes, welfare programs, and disability support are no longer optional; they are essential pillars of social stability and equity. Countries that …

…𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒓-𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐-𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 By Yeshi Dolma In an era of rising global health risks, national health indicators represent more than statistical outcomes¬- they mirror a country’s capacity to protect and serve its population. Bhutan’s latest Annual Health Bulletin offers a detailed view of the health sector’s …

…𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Sonam Choden One year after its founding at Paro College of Education, the Service with Care and Compassion Initiative Plus (SCCI+) Club has established itself as a youth-led, community-based caregiving group in Bhutan. Built on the theme “By Youths, for Persons with Disabilities,” the initiative was created …

…𝑵𝒖 1 𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑩𝒊𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒐𝒎𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒈’𝒔 𝑺𝒂𝒎𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒓 𝑮𝒆𝒘𝒐𝒈 By Lhendup Wangmo Samkhar Gewog in Trashigang, one of the most water-stressed regions in the district, has completed a Nu. 1 million irrigation project that allowed farmers in Bikhar and Domkhar chiwogs to transplant paddy on time for the first time …

…𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝒇𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒈𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 By Kezang Choden The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Bhutan (HRAB), in collaboration with the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), will host the sixth Bhutan Hospitality and Food Fair 2025 from August 20 to 24 at the Changlimithang Stadium Parking in Thimphu. The five-day event …

…𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒊𝒏 17 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔 By Kinzang Lhamo The Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) will begin implementing a Solar Water Heating System (SWHS) installation project within this financial year to improve hygiene, health, and attendance among students in 17 selected schools located in Bhutan’s colder regions. The project is funded …

Pema Dewa For a country long admired for its unique model of holistic development, Bhutan now stands at a complex juncture. Recent events point to a deeper undercurrent of national self-examination. From the strategic movement of digital assets to the curious sight of cricket being played in monastic schools, and the redefinition of international partnerships, Bhutan is quietly entering a …

…𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒕𝒉 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒚𝒅𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒑𝒖𝒕 By Kezang ChodenBhutan’s economy recorded a growth of 7.50 percent in 2024, according to the National Accounts Statistics released by the National Statistics Bureau (NSB). The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was estimated at Nu 280,007.94 million, reflecting a significant improvement from the 4.63 percent growth reported in …