February of 2025

Archives

Japan provides loan for construction of Druk Bindu I & II and Jomori hydropower projects

The Government of Japan has agreed to provide loan assistance for the construction of three hydropower projects in the country—Druk Bindu I (18 MW), Druk Bindu II (8 MW), and Jomori (90 MW).

Feb 18, 2025 1 mins read 1,057 views
DCDD preparing comprehensive Dzongkha dictionary

The Dzongkha Expert Committee from the Department of Culture and Dzongkha Development (DCDD) is reviewing the 350-page book Ngar Soel Dzongkha Ngag J...

Feb 18, 2025 2 mins read 1,058 views
Students in remote schools perform better in Dzongkha

Class XII students from the remote schools perform better in Dzongkha than those from urban schools, while performance in English is b...

Feb 18, 2025 2 mins read 1,050 views
Phuentsholing Thromde to launch first parking App

Phuentsholing—Phuentsholing Thromde will launch the country’s first parking application, Parking.bt, on February 21, 2025, coinciding with the bir...

Feb 18, 2025 2 mins read 1,327 views
Reinventing RAPA

The Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA), formally institutionalised in 1967, was envisioned as a guardian of Bhutan’s traditional performing arts, preserving folk songs, mask dances, and other unique art forms.

Feb 18, 2025 2 mins read 1,337 views
ཕག་པའི་ནད་གཞི་ལས་ ཉེན་སྲུང་འབད་དགོཔ།

༉ ལོ་གསར་རན་མི་དང་བསྟུན་ མི་ཚུ་གིས་ དམིགས་བསལ་དུ་...

Feb 15, 2025 6 mins read 1,516 views
A village in Nepal faces the wrath of climate change

BHOJPUR – On a recent morning, Anita Rai made her way down the steep hill from Kattike Bisauni Chowk, in Hatuwagadhi Rural Municipality of Bhojpur district, carrying bags of rice on her back.

Feb 17, 2025 3 mins read 11,212 views
Opposition calls for evidence-based review before reinstating cut-off point

The Opposition Party, Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP), has strongly criti...

Feb 17, 2025 2 mins read 1,110 views
A win changes life

For over five years, Kuenzang Wangchuk battled alcohol addiction, spending most of his earnings on cheap liquor and struggling to repay the debts he had accumulated.

Feb 17, 2025 2 mins read 873 views
MoH steps up efforts to reduce lead exposure

The Ministry of Health is taking a multi-pronged approach to reduce lead exposure in the country, following a national blood Lead Level Survey that revealed high...

Feb 17, 2025 3 mins read 984 views
Bhutan participates in the 15th Asian Parliamentary Assembly in Azerbaijan

The speaker of National Assembly, Lungten Dorji, will represent Bhutan at the 15th Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) Plenary in Baku, Azerbaijan, from February 18 to 20.

Feb 17, 2025 1 mins read 737 views
Sacred relics of Dolung Monastery

Khotokha, Wangdue—Dolung Sherub Yoedsel Chhoeling Goenpa—commonly known as Dolung Monastery—is a sacred 17th century monument in Khotokha valley, Bjena gewog, Wangdue.

Feb 17, 2025 3 mins read 6,283 views
Why can’t Math classes be interesting?

“Math is too hard.” “Math is boring.” “Why do we even need to study this?”—these complaints echo in classrooms everywhere.

Feb 17, 2025 3 mins read 1,116 views
Limiting hospitality and entertainment budget

If there is one guideline that continues to draw the attention of auditors, it is the hospitality and entertainment (H&E) budget  for public officials. The gu...

Feb 17, 2025 2 mins read 1,364 views
Starlink in Bhutan: A game changer or just another option?

Bhutan’s internet landscape is on the brink of a major shift. Starlink, the satellite internet service by SpaceX, has officially entered the market, promising high-speed connectivity at competitive prices.

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 2,071 views
Will Starlink disrupt local internet market?

Starlink’s recent entry into the country promises high-speed connectivity, potentially disrupting the market long dominated by Bhutan Telecom and TashiCell—the t...

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 5,429 views
Businesses in Phuentsholing struggle to rebound

Phuentsholing—Despite an uptick in the number of Indian tourists visiting Phuentsholing, local businesses in the country’s commercial hub are struggling...

Feb 15, 2025 3 mins read 5,454 views
Finance ministry revises hospitality and entertainment budget

Following recommendations by Royal Audit Authority (RAA), the finance ministry has revised the guidelines for...

Feb 15, 2025 3 mins read 5,479 views
Civil service attrition drops by 12 percent but brain drain continues

The civil service recorded its lowest attrition rate in three years, with 1,860 civil servants exiting between January and December 2024, according to the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC).

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 938 views
BFDA intensifies food safety crackdown

The Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) collected Nu 780,146 in fines for expired products and other regulatory violations between July 2023 and January 2025.

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 547 views
Two textile startup ideas awarded

Two Bhutanese textile startup ideas were awarded Nu 50,000 each for their business ideas during a recent 15-day Basic Entrepreneurship Course focused on the textile sector, held at the Royal Tex...

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 5,156 views
Makeathon develops assistive devices

Eighty-five participants from across the country took part in a three-day makeathon at the Royal Textile Academy in Thimphu, developing assistive technology for students with disabiliti...

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 744 views
Dechen Draphug Nye: A sacred jewel hidden in Khotokha valley

Khotokha, Wangdue—Nestled in the serene valley of Khotokha in Bjena gewog, Dechen Draphug Nye is a sacred pilgrimage site but relatively unknown to many due to its remote location and the challenging journey required to reach it.

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 6,301 views
Agroecology, key to tackling food security and climate challenges

Bhutanese people continue to grapple with nutritional deficiencies, particularly in iron, zinc, an...

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 543 views
Chain-link fencing gives hope to farmers

Tsirang—Every year, farmers in Tsholingkhar, Tsirang, suffer huge losses as wild boars ravage their crops, forcing many to abandon fertile farmland, leaving large swathes un...

Feb 15, 2025 2 mins read 523 views
Agri-preneurship in Bhutan

After a fulfilling 18-year tenure in public service, I found myself yearning for change—one that would let me continue to impact my community positively while forging a more profound connection with nature.

Feb 15, 2025 4 mins read 1,004 views
Paper or digital but not both

While we boast of digital transformation in governance, our citizens remain ensnared by an antiquated bureaucratic framework that defies our claim.

Feb 15, 2025 3 mins read 939 views
Chimi Dema aims high at World Para Athletics

Bhutanese para shot putter Chimi Dema of Mongar is preparing for her sixth international competition, the World Para Athletics Grand Prix, which will take place...

Feb 15, 2025 1 mins read 3,200 views
Finance ministry eases cash flow for contractors

Contractors will see improved cash flow following the finance ministry’s new rule that allows them to withdraw retention money against a bank guarant...

Feb 01, 2025 3 mins read 864 views
Bhutanese in the US face uncertainty amid Trump’s immigration policies

The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown is raising concer...

Feb 01, 2025 2 mins read 1,427 views
Freeze on USAID to affect Bhutanese agencies

The US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order suspending USAID funding for three months has sent shockwaves across nations and organisations dependent on U.S. assistance.

Feb 01, 2025 2 mins read 1,090 views
Govt. to accelerate East-Central -Southern road connectivity

Zhemgang—The government is prioritising two major inter-district road projects in its 13th Plan to enhance connec...

Feb 01, 2025 3 mins read 945 views
First Bhutanese skier to compete in Asian Winter Games

For the first time, Bhutan will have a presence at the Asian Winter Games, thanks to 26-year-old alpine skier Chencho Dorji.

Feb 01, 2025 2 mins read 3,400 views
Potential influence of property taxes in GMC’s land market

Bhutan’s Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) adopts Singapore’s Property Tax Act 1960 to build GMC to harmonise econom...

Feb 01, 2025 3 mins read 979 views
Living with fear in the US?

The small Bhutanese community in the US—and their loved ones back home—are closely watching as the Trump administration intensifies its crackdown on illegal immigration. With US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launching large-scale deportation sweeps, anxiety is mounting over reports of Bhutanese nationals appearing on ICE lists circulating on social media.

Feb 01, 2025 2 mins read 1,418 views
Browse Archives
Government, telecos at odds over 50% data price cut

Jan 31, 2026 2 mins read 7,640 views
Dorjilung hydropower to raise GDP by 2.4%, generate 5,000 jobs

The 1,125MW Dorjilung Hydroelectric Power Project (DHPP) is expected to boost the country’s economy, raising gross domes...

Jan 31, 2026 3 mins read 3,357 views
ESP Steering Committee to review Nu 575 million in unspent, recovered funds

The Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) Steering Committee will review how to reallocate Nu 574.73 million in unspent and...

Jan 31, 2026 2 mins read 2,989 views
New FDI regime offers wider access to foreign investors in agriculture

The agriculture and livestock sector is seeing an increased investor interest following major reforms in foreign direct...

Jan 03, 2026 3 mins read 4,070 views
BCCI submits 35 business ideas to govt. for private sector engagement

The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has submitted 35 business proposals from 12 sector associations to th...

Dec 20, 2025 2 mins read 4,588 views
Bhutan attracts major impact finance commitments at SDG forum

During the two-day Bhutan SDG Impact Finance Forum held last week in Thimphu, international and high-level participants...

Dec 20, 2025 3 mins read 3,153 views
Businesses propose action oriented public-private forum to address private sector woes

The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) has proposed the government to re-establish the high-level Private Se...

Dec 20, 2025 2 mins read 3,421 views
Ask Mr Bhutan

Feb 02, 2026 2 mins read 1,098 views
Fitness is not defined by body size or age

Feb 02, 2026 1 mins read 1,114 views
Movie Review: Lights, Camera, Action!

Feb 02, 2026 1 mins read 1,939 views
The Hamptons, born from the love of cooking

Feb 02, 2026 1 mins read 1,474 views
Yarn roses, tiny dolls, and business of careful hands

Crochet, the meticulous art of creating fabric from interlocked loops of yarn, was once associated with a domestic hobby...

Feb 02, 2026 2 mins read 1,329 views
Turning bridal hairstyling into a trend

Jan 26, 2026 2 mins read 2,325 views
Birbi and the art of taking your time

Jan 26, 2026 1 mins read 1,928 views
Jangchub Puen Nye

Jan 26, 2026 1 mins read 2,006 views
The burden of cancer

Feb 07, 2026 2 mins read 886 views
Inconvenience caused is highly not appreciated

The capital city is, once again, under excavation. From Motithang to Babesa, roads and drains are being dug out severing...

Jan 31, 2026 2 mins read 1,672 views
The tourism paradox

Jan 28, 2026 2 mins read 1,608 views
A relief for the hotel industry

Jan 24, 2026 2 mins read 1,973 views
High-value tourism, low-value jobs?

Jan 21, 2026 2 mins read 2,296 views
Tying the loose ends of GST reform

Jan 17, 2026 2 mins read 2,545 views
GST transition pains need urgent fixes

Jan 14, 2026 2 mins read 2,478 views
Making GST work past early hiccups

The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a major fiscal reform in recent years. These new reforms are part of a broader effort to modernise the country’s tax system to make taxation fairer, more efficient, a...

Jan 10, 2026 2 mins read 2,671 views
The cost of delay

Jan 07, 2026 2 mins read 3,369 views
A new chapter for Kuensel

Two decades ago, in February 2005, Kuensel increased its publication frequency to twice a week. This move was a direct response to our readers’ growing needs and a conscious preparation for the n...

Jan 03, 2026 2 mins read 2,879 views
Amochu quarriers call for flood walls after millions in losses

Phuentsholing—Businesses involved in extracting and exporting boulders, gravel, and sand along the Amochu river are call...

Oct 16, 2025 2 mins read 4,905 views
Train Smart, Not Hard

Jan 26, 2026 1 mins read 1,537 views
Punishment is not prevention

Jan 26, 2026 4 mins read 2,049 views
Strengthening the third sector

Over the years, the civil society sector has quietly assumed a critical role in bridging policy and people. Often referr...

Dec 31, 2025 2 mins read 3,151 views
Why selective privatisation in healthcare makes sense

The debate on private sector participation in healthcare has reached an unhelpful impasse. This is mainly because it is...

Dec 30, 2025 2 mins read 3,535 views
Agencies must be held accountable for financial irregularities

The Royal Audit Authority’s (RAA) latest annual report is disturbing, to say the least. Financial irregularities reached...

Dec 29, 2025 2 mins read 5,015 views
What about moral and ethical accountability?

The Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) investigation into the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) loan was meant to settle...

Dec 27, 2025 2 mins read 3,618 views
Citizens building a nation’s future

The fourth round of the Gelephu Mindfulness City volunteer programme, which drew a record 10,000 participants, pushing t...

Dec 26, 2025 2 mins read 3,422 views

Recents

Best Class X results of the past three years

The Class X results declared today are the best of the past five years. This is the first time in five years that the pass percentage of the Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA) has increased drastically compared to the previous year.

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