Before 2023, knee replacement surgeries had to be referred to Kolkata, India with the cost per knee coming to around Nu 200,000 plus and two knees coming to around Nu 500,000.  In Vellore it can cost Nu 600,000 per knee. After the successful first total knee replacement surgery in Bhutan …

The petrol and diesel prices from 16 July have been kept effectively the same as before. For example, petrol prices in Thimphu, which were Nu 97.46 per litre earlier, have been kept at Nu 97.46 per litre. This is the same in the case of diesel in Thimphu, where prices …

Work on the much-delayed 1,200 MW Punatsangchu-I Hydropower Project (P I) resumed on 10th April 2026, with concrete pouring work on the dam. As per the understanding between Bhutanese and Indian officials engaged in long talks and discussions over the P I project, the dam construction was supposed to be accompanied …

There were some reports last year and this year claiming that Bhutan’s coal reserves are depleted, and the reports are mainly based on the Environmental Accounts Statistics 2024 and 2025. However, the Department of Geology and Mines (DGM) under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources disputed this claim and …

Earlier this year, around 2 pm on March 5, a person drove in wildly with his Hyundai i10 car, entered the triage area of the Emergency Department at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuk National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH), nearly hitting a nurse. After stopping the vehicle, he broke the car window using …

The past two weeks have seen a rush to fuel pumps in Thimphu for petrol, with rumors of a petrol shortage and the resultant panic leading to all petrol pumps running out at different times. The first two pumps to run out of petrol were the STCBL outlets in Ramtokto …

A total of 1,188 students have applied for the Economic Stimulus Program (ESP) Education Loan, with the loan size now at Nu 1.112 billion (bn) as the last date for applications ended on June 30. The ESP Steering Committee, in a meeting held on Friday, decided to support all eligible …

If one Googles Bhutan and Bitcoins these days, one will come across online articles from crypto-focused news sites claiming that Bhutan has sold the majority of its Bitcoin holdings and that Bhutan has stopped mining Bitcoins. This has crept onto some of the social media sites in Bhutan, like Reddit, …

When the government recently announced a drop in fuel prices, online commentators noted that they expected a sharper decline due to falling international crude prices. There are two main reasons why the expected drop has not materialized with one being domestic and the other external. Domestic Reason When the Iran …

On 5 June 2026, Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay, while announcing the extension of the ESP Education Loan application window until 30 June, said, “We will support those who meet the requirements, as it is meant for those coming from humble families.” These might be among the most expensive words …