DEMOCRACY IN ACTION

Revised School Discipline Guidelines to introduce stronger accountability measures and clearer procedures for bullying and violence cases Nearly a month after videos of bullying and violent incidents involving students circulated across Bhutan, the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MoESD) says disciplinary action against students involved will be determined by …

His Majesty The King granted Dhar to appoint the new secretary of the National Land Commission, as well as to formally appoint the newly elected Thimphu Thrompon and Phuentsholing Thrompon on 31 July 2026. The new secretary of the National Land Commission Secretariat is Geley Norbu, who was formerly serving …

Official rules from the Bhutan Construction and Transport Authority (BCTA) are clear: overcharging passengers carries strict penalties, from fines to license cancellations. But away from the rulebooks, the daily reality on Thimphu’s streets reveals a more complex narrative where commuters face shifting fare expectations, and drivers are grappling with the …

Residents and commuters in Thimphu are increasingly frustrated with how some parking fee collectors allegedly use underhanded means to charge inflated parking fees. Drivers and commuters who have had bad experiences of being overcharged or encountering issues such as ticket misuse and extended parking times shared their experiences. Dorji said he experienced ticket collectors overcharging him even though he had parked in a town area for only thirty minutes. “I was sure that …

Samtse tops the list, followed by Paro, Trashigang, Sarpang and Wangdue Phodrang, according to the Budget Report Bajo Town Samtse Trashigang Town Samtse has received the highest budget allocation among the 20 dzongkhags for the 2026–27 fiscal year, according to the Ministry of Finance’s Budget Report. The total allocation for …

The Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB) declared the official results for the Fourth Thromde Elections on 16th July 2026. Deepen Ghallay has been elected as the new Thrompon for Phuentsholing. In the capital city, Ugyen Dorji emerged victorious to lead the Thimphu Thromde. A total of four candidates contested for …

Bhutan’s cultivated land declined by more than 5,000 hectares between 2021 and 2024, while the availability of several key food commodities and nutrients also showed a downward trend, according to the country’s first Food Balance Sheets (FBS) Report. The report was launched on July 15 2026. The FBS Report 2021-2024, …

Beyond Grade VIII, Students Will Still Need to Travel Elsewhere for Higher Secondary Education For children growing up in the remote highland community of Merak, continuing education beyond primary school has often meant leaving behind their families, homes, and familiar surroundings. After completing Class VI, students previously had to move …

The Wangdue Phodrang District Court has sentenced a 51-year-old man from Samtse to three years and six months imprisonment after finding him guilty of two counts of child molestation committed against his two stepdaughters. The judgment, passed on 6th July 2026, convicted Dophu of child molestation, a fourth-degree felony, for …

Bhutan recorded a strong rise in tourist arrivals during the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, with every month recording higher visitor numbers than the previous year. According to the data, the country welcomed 10,627 tourists in January 2026, more than double the 5,000 …