Monthly Archives: December, 0

Bhutan has made significant progress in achieving the universal right to education but more can be done to strengthen its education system, said Kishore Singh, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education.

The health ministry has referred a total of 4,628 patients to India from 2008 to 2013, incurring about Nu. 644 million. The Health Minister, Tandin Wangchuk, said that the ministry is also looking at possibilities to treat some of common disease like Kidney problem within the country. He was responding to a question in the National Council.

The National Council has deferred the ratification of the Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (TECA) between Thailand and Bhutan.

The National Council today decided to halt the pay revision for the non-civil service and the government secretaries until the economic situation improves. Non-civil service includes the prime minister, the cabinet ministers and equivalent post holders, members of parliament, constitutional post holders, constitutional post holders under judiciary, Privy Council and the Attorney General.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay says majority of the PDP’s 100-day pledges have been fulfilled. Lyonchhen was responding to a question on it in the National Assembly’s question hour session this morning.

Druk-Gi-Yumchen-Jeydren wins the Book of the Year this year. The book is authored by Yonten Phuntsho. The winner was announced yesterday by the Dzongkha Development Commission, coinciding with the coronation day of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo. Yonten Phuntsho received a cash prize of Nu. 50,000. The prize was sponsored by an NGO in Japan. Four writers took part in the competition.

Several parliamentarians in the National Assembly raised their concerns that people in the remote villages are not able to listen to BBS radio. The reasons they cited were mostly due to change in radio frequencies and in some cases, lack of radio signal.

The National Assembly today approved to monetise the vehicle quota for the civil servants by providing a lump sum amount of Nu. 1,60,000. However, members could not come to a consensus as to what should be done with their quota as they deliberated on Parliamentary Entitlement Amendment Bill, today.

Co-inciding with the Coronation Day of His Majesty the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, the nation celebrated the Social Forestry Day today. As part of this important event, The Prime Minister, Tshering Tobgay planted tree saplings near Chuzom in Thimphu.

A book titled ‘My Green School: An Outline’will soon be made available in all schools across the country. Authored by Thakur Singh Powdyel, the former education minister and an educator, the book is designed to support the implementation of the ‘Educating for Gross National Happiness’, an educational reform initiative launched in December 2009.