The Bhutanese Leading the way.
As Gyalsups started arriving at the four Gyalsung Academies from 31st August to 4th September the emotion of many of the new Gyalsups was a mix of nervousness and curiosity.
However, the nerves were soon assuaged as army officers and cadets received the Gyalsups and carried their luggage to the barracks and taught them where and how to fold clothes.
There was also happiness as the Gyalsups saw the facilities designed for them including clean bathrooms, good quality mattresses, bed sheets, and places to keep their things and the general environment.
The nervousness also went away as youth could see similar age groups from all over the country and they mingled with each other.
Parents were also a bit anxious but officers sat down with the parents and assured them that their children would be taken care of and is now their responsibility. This provided much relief for parents.
Great care had been taken in designing a menu that makes sure food is healthy and at the same time is not hostel food with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
As Gyalsups arrived at the academies one of the main objectives was already being achieved as people of various different economic and social strata were coming together as one.
Some came in big SUVs dropped by their parents, some in smaller cars, some came by themselves on the bus and some Gyalsups were dropped by their rural parents.
The men and women are kept separately in battalions with instructors living in between and there being proper CCTV cameras and other arrangements.
A source said that unlike what some think, the Gyalsung Academies are not military schools and while there is a Basic Military Training the focus will be on building teamwork, resilience, mental strength, discipline and incorporating other values.
The source said that some Gyalsups themselves said that they hope to become more disciplined after their stint.
The Gyalsung website says the programs at the Gyalsung Academy are designed to provide a holistic growth environment for all Gyalsups in a safe and healthy environment.
As a fully residential program, all Gyalsups will receive full boarding experience with access to comfortable living spaces and nutritious meals. These shared living spaces are designed to foster camaraderie and harmony among youth coming from all over Bhutan.
The site says the management and instructors will give utmost importance to the personal safety of each and every cadet.
For example, the program has carefully determined the minimum sleep time required during training and has established a mandatory hydration protocol to be deployed during training.
A progressive training curriculum will ensure that cadets are well acclimatized, and physically tuned, with the aim of avoiding preventable injuries or accidents. The Academies will foster a culture of safety, where individuals feel comfortable reporting any safety concerns or incidents. Regular audits and inspections are conducted to verify compliance, detect potential flaws in the system, and foster continuous improvement.
The Academies will also place a high degree of importance on the mental wellbeing of all Gyalsups and create a congenial training environment and foster trust among cadets and also with their instructors. Cadets and their family can seek help and support from the 24*7 helpline number.
The Gyalsung academies will also support local communities and farmers by buying vegetables and other produce from them.
All Gyalsups – NS Cadets – will undergo Basic Military Training (BMT) to enhance their strength and fitness levels and participate in drills and other associated activities such as obstacle courses, weapon handling, cross counry races etc. While the BMT will be conducted by the Royal Bhutan Army and courses on National Education will be conducted by specialists.
Although not a part of the official curriculum, Gyalsups will pick up skills like teamwork, leadership, independence as well as essential life skills as they go about their day-to-day activities at the Gyalsung campus.
The Gyalsung Training 2024 program will be conducted for 3 months in two cohorts starting from September, for the first cohort and December for the second cohort. The Gyalsung Training Program is designed to impart discipline, knowledge and leadership skills and instill values to imbue in every cadet the distinctive watermarks of integrity, discipline, excellence, accountability and loyalty.
The Gyalsung Training 2025 program will be conducted for 3 months in two cohorts starting from 1st April, for the first cohort and 1st August for the second cohort.
His Majesty The King announced the launch of Gyalsung – Bhutan’s National Service – during the Royal Address to the nation on the 112th National Day of Bhutan on 17 December 2019.
His Majesty has envisioned the institution of Gyalsung as a means to empower all Bhutanese youth to participate in the process of nation-building to further enhance the security, peace, unity, harmony and sovereignty of our nation.
The Gyalsung Program aims to realize the above vision by enabling each and every Bhutanese youth to actualize their innate potential and become productive and worthy citizens in the service of the Tsawa-Sum (The King, Country and People).
Bhutan has witnessed monumental changes over the past two decades as a result of major economic and political reforms. While economic development programs have been successful in improving the lives of the people, new challenges have emerged. This includes rising youth unemployment; challenge of substance abuse among the youth; emerging socio-economic disparities; declining food self-reliance; growing external economic imbalances, etc.
The failure to address these challenges in a timely manner could undo the achievements made thus far and undermine the national vision. As a small nation with numerous challenges and on the cusp of embarking on ambitious transformation, the potential of every individual must be harnessed to enhance economic prosperity, collective wellbeing and national security.
With the above considerations, Bhutan is launching Gyalsung with the objective of endowing every young Bhutanese with the personal attributes/discipline and professional skills needed to succeed in the 21st century and thereby contribute to nation building.
Designed as a collective endeavor, the Gyalsung will provide opportunities for all sections of society (from government organizations and autonomous agencies, the armed forces, educational institutions, parents, teachers, and individuals), to play an active part in helping shape the youth for their roles as active citizens of Bhutan. It will be a platform through which the legacy of shouldering our national responsibilities will be passed on from one generation to the next.
After the completion of the Gyalsung training, the cadets will graduate to become Gyalsups or National Service Men and Women. They will then enter a phase of National Service Duty till the age of thirty-five years. During this period, they can go on to pursue higher education or vocational and specialized training or choose to join the job market.
However, they will have the obligation to report for mandatory or voluntary duty as and when the Gyalsung Headquarters calls upon them. The design of the duty will be such that it provides them the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the nation-building process, serve during times of national emergencies and natural disasters or when mobilized for large-scale social and relief works.
It will also provide them the space and time to further cement the camaraderie they build during their training through refresher courses that may be conducted on a periodic basis.
After more than a decade and half of duty, they will enter the next phase as Gyalsung Reservists and become Gyalzurs. By the time the first cohort become Reservists, there will be nearly 200,000 Gyalsups with active-duty obligations. Therefore, the Reservists will have the obligation to volunteer their services only in exceptional situations if the sizable pool of Gyalsups is deemed inadequate. They can still be mandatorily mobilized in the event of national emergencies. But as Reservists, their mandatory obligations are foreseen only in critical national emergency situations.
They will remain as Reservists till the age of forty-five years after which they can choose to transition to become De-suups or Guardians of Peace.
Some Gyalsups may want to continue serving their country even after completing their Gyalsung Duty at the age of 45 years old. In fact, this is already happening with the current De-suung program where individuals as old as 60 years are coming forward to serve. Therefore, if one is interested in continuing service to the nation, Gyalsung Headquarters would gladly facilitate your transition from Gyalsup to a De-suup.
The programs at the Gyalsung Academy are designed to provide a holistic growth environment for all Gyalsups in a safe and healthy environment.
