Bhutan Daily News 21-05-23

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆

Bhutan’s first satellite Bhutan-1 CubeSat was launched in 2018 marking a milestone in Bhutan’s space science and technology journey. Likewise, Project Panoptes was started in 2019 in line with His Majesty’s personal passion and interest to pursue technology for the benefit of Bhutanese society. As part of Project Panoptes, six astronomers who are in Bhutan delivered a lecture to interested students and took them for a stargazing exercise in Thimphu yesterday.

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𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗗𝗵𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗶 𝗞𝗮𝘄, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸 – 𝗗𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗮

Amidst the lush forests of Karna Gewog in Dagana, devotees visiting the Dho Namkhai Kaw, also known as the Sky Pillar Rock, can now enjoy improved public amenities. The Dagana Forest Division has repaired the footpath and constructed essential facilities, including toilets, water supply and canopies to enhance the pilgrimage experience. This revered site holds great spiritual significance to many.

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𝗗𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 – 𝗖𝗵𝗵𝘂𝗸𝗵𝗮

Concerns are growing within the business community of Tsimasham in Chhukha as the town experiences a decline in commercial activity and development. Residents, desperate to rejuvenate their small town, have reportedly made multiple appeals to the district administration for assistance. They attribute the downturn to the opening of the Chhukha – Damchu bypass.

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𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗴

Every year, teachers quit their profession in numbers leaving the education ministry with a big problem: finding new teachers to fill the gap. But what is really concerning is teachers leaving in the middle of the academic year. In Kikhar Extended Classroom in Zhemgang, a lone contract teacher has taken the responsibility of teaching some seventeen students from classes pre-primary to three, all in one classroom.

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𝗗𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴’𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗦/𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗵𝗮𝗿

In a bid to empower women and offer them a fresh avenue for income generation, the Dewathang Gewog Administration has established a weaving center, which was inaugurated recently. The center now serves as a valuable platform for women to acquire new skills. Currently, 15 women from Dewathang Gewog in Samdrup Jongkhar are enrolled in a two-month tailoring course at the center, expanding their capabilities beyond weaving.

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As the country recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhutan's economic prospects according to the UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects report are not very encouraging.

However, according to Dr Hamid Rashid, the chief of Global Economic Monitoring at the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, this scenario could be changed as a result of the reforms the country is currently undertaking. Speaking at the Royal Institute for Governance and Strategic Studies' Friday Forum in Thimphu recently, Dr Rashid also pointed out a huge scope for improvement in the country's agriculture sector. He also talked about how Bhutan's high dependence on hydropower and tourism makes the country's economy more vulnerable.

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𝗘𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

The Department of Tourism has initiated a bus beautification project of five public transport buses travelling to the eastern districts. The five buses display the authentic culture and tradition of each of the five districts. Vibrant colours and eco-tourism promotion messages are being displayed on the buses. According to the tourism department, the beautification is intended to promote biodiversity and Bhutan as a model eco-tourism destination.

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𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐤𝐢 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚: 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫

Sangay Chezom Sherpa of Damphu Middle Secondary School (MSS) won the Grand Prix Award. She is currently studying in Class VII. In recognition of her outstanding and remarkable achievement in the Mitsubishi Asian Children’s Enikki Festa (2021-2022) art competition, the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan (NFUAJ) has awarded Sangay with Nu.164,900 (USD 2000) as prize money along with the Grand Prix Award Plaque, a medal, 3 sets of colors, a set of color pencils, a drawing book and a bag. NFUAJ has awarded a cash prize since she could not attend the Award Ceremony in Japan due to the pandemic situation. Additionally, NFUAJ has also awarded the school with Nu.20000 (USD 200) to organize the award ceremony.

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𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗼

Bhutanese students who attend The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), had a record 13 graduates from the university this week. Their degrees ranged from business and chemistry to computer science and physics. UTEP is the only university in the United States with architecture that is inspired by the country of Bhutan. The campus has been greatly enriched by the growing number of Bhutanese students who are completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the university.