His Majesty The King arrived in the capital today after a Royal tour during which His Majesty visited Punakha, Trongsa, Bumthang, Mongar, Tashiyangtse, and Tashigang.
During the tour, His Majesty visited De-Suung National Service Water Projects and Training Centres of the De-Suung Skilling Programmes in these dzongkhags, as well as Colleges and Institutes.
Of the 25 National Service Water Projects initiated since November 2020, 14 have been completed and handed over to the beneficiary communities. His Majesty met the team from the first National Service Water Project at Guma, Punakha, which was inaugurated on September 25. Other ongoing projects that His Majesty visited during the tour were Tangsibji and Shinyer in Bumthang, Gyalposhing in Mongar, Kheni in Tashiyangtse, and Udzorong in Trashigang.
His Majesty thanked the de-suups for their invaluable service to the nation, which stands to benefit thousands of people across the country. Expressing appreciation for the dedication and hard work of our youth, His Majesty encouraged them to take advantage of the training opportunities created for them through the De-Suung Skilling Programme (DSP).
His Majesty visited the ongoing DSP centres in Trongsa, Bumthang, Gyalposhing, and Trashigang. The De-suung Skilling Programme offers a set of multi-level courses by master trainers. These include IT, entrepreneurship, woodworking and carpentry, hair and makeup, auto repair, accounting and finance, photography and video, tailoring and fashion, and culinary arts and baking, among numerous others.
His Majesty said that the DSP programmes are for the youth to discover their passion and talent, and asked them to use these opportunities as springboards for their future. Over 1,100 de-suups have joined DSP since the first programmes started in April this year.
His Majesty granted audiences to the students and faculty of Gyalposhing College of Information and Technology while in Gyalposhing, and the students and faculty of Sherubtse College in Kanglung. His Majesty also met students and faculty of Yonphula Centenary College and the Technical Training Institute in Rangjung.
To the students, His Majesty said that we must focus not on what we can do, but on what we must do- the only way to stay ahead is to unhesitatingly take up even the toughest challenges.
His Majesty said that Colleges are sacred institutions that should empower and benefit generations of people to come. The infrastructure, as well as the education in our institutes of learning, must be of the highest standards, enabling our students to excel anywhere in the world, and build the future of our aspirations. While work is ongoing to strengthen colleges towards this vision, His Majesty asked the students to work hard to live up to the high expectations that His Majesty has for them.
Before arriving in Thimphu, His Majesty travelled to Chhukha to meet the de-suups of the 46th Batch Accelerated De-Suung Training Programme.