Bhutan News archive for 13 October 2007

Hindu

There is hope for the tiger yet Hindu, India - 9 hours ago Each year the Getty Award recognises a world leader in conservation ? last year?s recipient was King Jigme Singhye Wangchuck of Bhutan. …

Civil servants and their new responsibilities

His Majesty the King with (left to right) MEA spokesperson Navtej Sarna, Director of the Indian Institute of Public Administration B S Baswan, Joint Secretary (Commerce and Industries) C R Gharekhan, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, Additional Secretary (MEA) Vivek Katju, Joint Secretary (Commerce) Rajiv Kher and Ambassador Sudhir Vyas

13 October, 2007 – Representatives of the highest layer of the Bhutanese civil service said that they now had a much better understanding of the role of the bureaucracy in a democratic constitutional monarchy after two days of talks by six eminent members of the Indian civil service in Thimphu on October 11 and 12.

Local leaders walk a tightrope
13 October, 2007 – For rural Bhutanese the elected local leaders – gups, mangmis and tshogpas – are the know-all. They seek their advice and guidance in whatever little decision they have to make.

Town planner appeals against verdict
13 October, 2007 – Four of the six city land-related cases, on which verdicts were passed by the Thimphu district court, have gone on appeal to the high court.

Procurement officer and supplier in a fix
13 October, 2007 – The education ministry is suing its former procurement officer and supplier, Karma Tshongkhag, for not supplying the ordered number of school science and laboratory equipment amounting to Nu 13 million.

Concluding a 15-day Wang-Lung-Thri

13 October, 2007 – Concluding a 15-day Wang-Lung-Thri (blessing, oral transmission and admonition) ceremony, His Holiness the Je Khenpo conducted the Tshewang (blessing for long life) to about 10,000 devotees in Tsirang on October 12.

Need for clarification
13 October, 2007 – Political campaigning in Bhutan has passed the novelty stage and is settling into its own pace. At this stage, when we are going through the initial learning process, it is important that we keep refining the process with consistent feedback. The interest – and education – of the voter is still of primary importance.

Dzongdas reshuffled
12 October, 2007 – The ministry of home and cultural affairs has reshuffled the existing dzongdas and announced the posts for the three newly appointed dzongdas.

National team reaches semi-finals
Sports 12 October, 2007 – The national football team will play the semi-finals for the All India Chief MinisterÂ’s Gold Cup in Sikkim, India on Saturday, October 13. 13 teams from Nepal, India and Bhutan are playing in the tournament.

The Future of Tertiary Education in Bhutan
This is the fifth installment in a series of articles written by Dr. Austin Reid, setting out the challenges and the choices facing Bhutan in its development of a tertiary education policy

The Expansion of Tertiary Education – How big should it be?

12 October, 2007 – Governments have a responsibility for providing the means whereby their citizens have access to tertiary education, and in many cases, particularly in developing countries, this has led to detailed planning of the universities to meet specific manpower planning targets. Manpower planning, particularly in small and closed systems, has proved valuable. But given the increasing internationalisation and globalisation and, in Bhutan, given the democratisation and liberalisation processes being introduced to society, it is doubtful whether such detailed planning instrument can be effective for the longer term. There are various ways to gradually change the current manpower planning systems. One way would be to nationally set the number of funded student places, that the government would be willing to support by institution and by subject area. The institution would receive funding for those student places and the students admitted would be eligible for student support. The institution would be able to take on additional students, who would pay fees and possibly would not benefit from state student support.

Politics not given top priority by young graduates

Posts not polls, their primary concern

11 October, 2007 – Fresh young graduates of today know very little about politics.
This week, 1,034 university graduates attending the national graduates orientation programme in Thimphu were briefed on constitutional rights and responsibilities and on mediaÂ’s role in a democratic government.