HEADLINE STORIES

Bhutan to ask India for same grant amount as in the 11th plan The 12 Five Year Plan size is at Nu 310 bn according to the Foreign Minister Lyonpo (Dr) Tandin Dorji. He said that the figure is unlikely to change and that it would probably be sent to …

Schools were charging up to Nu 35,000 a year During 15th Annual Principal Consultative meeting held in Phuentsholing on 24- 25 November, it was decided that from 2019, all the government schools under Thimphu Thromde shall not collect school fees of more than Nu 700 per year, including the mandatory …

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) had pledged that it would close the ‘Samrang meat processing project and turn it into a commercial vegetable venture,’ under its list of cultural pledges. It was also listed as one of the 25 pledges in the first 120 days of the government. However, this pledge …

Report also asks for better quality Environmental Impact Assessment reports The Hydropower Committee report has looked at all the social and environmental lessons learnt in Bhutan’s hydropower development and has come up with recommendations to address them. One of the key social lessons is in terms of taking care of …

One of the signature features of Bhutan’s five year plans has been the reliance on grant or developmental aid from donor countries also called developmental partners. Bhutan’s initial five year plans and particularly the first four five year plans from 1961-1981 was overwhelmingly financed by donors with the biggest and …

The first conjoined twins in Bhutan, Nima  Pelden and Dawa Pelden, after being successfully separated on 9 October at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, will be kept at Children’s First Foundation (CFF) retreat center for a month. The pediatric surgeon with the national referral hospital, Thimphu, Dr Karma …

There are some changes being anticipated in the education sector. Doing away with the Saturday classes is one change, among many in the education system, which is prioritized by the ruling government for progressive learning. The education minister, Lyonpo Jai Bir Rai, believes this is a constructive move. “No classes …

  The Hydro Committee report has come out against private ownership of hydro projects. The report also recommends that the government itself, through entities like DGPC should not invest in hydropower or at best limit its investment to only certain special projects. It says that as long as the hydropower …

  The new cabinet’s first official decision, in its cabinet meeting on Tuesday, was on asking the Ministry of Finance to develop the terms of reference for the establishment of the 4th Pay Commission. The ministry of finance apart from developing the ToR will also have to decide who will …

The Hydropower Committee has identified a slew of technical issues that affect the quality and implementation of hydro power projects. The committee has also called for more Bhutanese participation in the management and construction of these projects to allow for better accountability and capacity building. The Hydropower Committee was constituted …