His Majesty The King awarded the National Order of Merit, Gold to seven educators from the Ministry of Education, Royal University of Bhutan, and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan, in recognition of their exemplary service to the nation, during the 109th National Day Celebration in Trongsa, yesterday.
About 21 teachers from the Ministry of Education, Royal Institute of Management, and Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan were awarded the National Order of Merit, Silver.
An associate professor with Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences received the National Order of Merit, Bronze.
Twenty three Civil Society Organizations were awarded the National Order of Merit, Gold.
They were recognised for their service to the nation, in volunteering time and effort towards promoting humanitarian values, culture and tradition, and national objectives, among others.
His Majesty The King also awarded medals to individuals.
A firefighter, Chuma Tshering Wangchuk Drukpa from the Royal Bhutan Police was awarded the National Order of Merit, Gold in recognition of his bravery and commitment in the line of duty.
While serving in the Thimphu Fire Division as a fireman, ChumaTshering Wangchuk was detailed for fighting forest fire above Yangchenphu School in 2012, during which time he sustained head injuries.
Despite the traumatic experience, Chuma Tshering Wangchuk has continued to demonstrate bravery and displays the same commitment to his duty.
He currently serves with the Monggar Division.
During the fire incident in Monggar town on October 16 2016, Drukpa was actively involved in containing the fire from spreading to the nearby BOD unit. He sustained injuries after falling from a three storied traditional houses which was on fire.
A Tour Guide, late Tshultrim, was awarded the National Order of Merit, Gold posthumously.
Tshultrim was a tour guide working with a tour agency in Bhutan. In November last year, while guiding tourists in Bumthang, one of his guests slipped and fell into the Mebartsho in Bumthang.
Without a second thought, Tshultrim, jumped into the lake in an attempt to save the tourist, displaying immense courage and selflessness. His Award was received by his father.
Rebecca Pradhan, Ecologist, Royal Society for Protection of Nature, also received the National Order of Merit, Gold in recognition of her dedicated services and contributions to Bhutan’s conservation efforts and environmentalism.
Rebecca Pradhan has been the recipient of multiple international and Bhutanese awards recognizing her services, which have impacted not only Bhutan but the world.
Most recently, she was recognised as one of 15 global Hotspot Heroes of 2016, by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) in conjunction with the World Conservation Congress. While having authored numerous publications, and worked with various conservation projects, it is commendable that Rebecca Pradhan continues to carry out hands on work in the field.
An educator, Carolyn Tshering, also received the National Order of Merit, Gold, in recognition of her lifetime of service in the field of education.
Carolyn Tshering came to Bhutan in 1966, on the invitation of His Late Majesty Drukgyal Sumpa and Her Majesty the Royal Grandmother, and has since served as an English tutor for Royal Children, has taught in various schools in Bhutan, and continues to display immense commitment and passion for education to this day.
