Chamgang Jail was meant to house around 400 to 500 prisoners in five blocks, but today it has around 700 plus prisoners and over half of them at around 370 are in due to drug cases. The Bhutanese talked to three such prisoners to gain an understanding of what led …
Read More »PM explains what the Nu 15 bn ESP will be used for
Stringent monitoring to ensure payback of loans For some time now there has been a lot of speculation on what the Nu 15 billion (bn) Economic Stimulus Program will be used for. The only thing known was that it would be used to stimulate the economy. The Prime Minister Dasho …
Read More »Assessment for Saturday off or not finds curriculum too heavy and teachers doing too many things
Decision on Saturday expected to come within next two weeks In the first week of March 2024 there was a lot of controversy as it was revealed that a Committee set up to study the Saturday off pledge had recommended not to give Saturday off. The government at the time …
Read More »MoESD and RCSC agree to changes in IWP for teachers
For a while now teachers have not been happy with the bell curve resulting from the assessment or moderation of the Individual Work Plan (IWP) whereby a few have to be placed in the Partly Meeting Expectations (PME) category. Teachers felt particularly aggrieved with the PME in the bell curve …
Read More »Times get much tougher for Bhutanese students in Australia
But there is a determination to stick it out In the July 2022 to June 2023 financial year, a record 15,552 Bhutanese got visas to Australia, of which 8,187 were students and 7,365 were dependents, while from July 2023 to February 2024 a total of 8,387 Bhutanese got visas of …
Read More »Smugglers use innovative new techniques to smuggle gold via Bhutan
The recent incident of three cases of gold smuggling reported at the Paro International Airport, shows Bhutan is being used as an international route by gold smugglers. Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) said that earlier mostly Indian carriers were involved in the gold smuggling. However, in the past few days, the …
Read More »Proposal to give SDF free MICE tourism for 7 days and 6 nights
Earlier 4 night MICE waiver was never implemented Earlier this year in late January the Department of Tourism announced that to promote MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition) tourism in Bhutan, there will be SDF waiver to MICE participants for 4 nights not including the travel dates to the venues, …
Read More »Loan deferral to be more targeted after June 2024
The loan deferral is coming to an end for various sectors in June 2024 and after this, blanket deferrals of the past is unlikely. According to a reliable source the Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) is keen to let the banks decide client by client on who can pay or not …
Read More »More than just a crime statistic: The murder of Sonam Choden
24-year-old Sonam Choden met a gruesome death on the early morning of 31 March in lower Motithang below the Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) Office when she was assaulted by a 32-year-old man. However, Sonam is not just another crime statistic, but was a real person, with a real life …
Read More »Difficulties and prejudice experienced by parents of children with Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. According to World Health Organization (WHO), ASD is a diverse group of conditions. They are characterized by some degree of difficulty with social interaction and communication. Other signs include unusual ways of doing things and acting, …
Read More »
The Bhutanese Leading the way.