News Digest- Bhutan

(Editorial) Gap in education system?- Kensel
In these challenging times when we are redrawing the picture and shape of the Bhutanese education system, our investment in the system has been falling far too short.

Local businesses hopeful of better days- Kensel
Small businesses, who were affected the most by the lockdown, most also say are burdened with shop rents. Others have not paid the rent and are making for the lost time now.

(Op-Ed) How PTA Helps Bhutan and Bangladesh Fulfil Expectations of Their People- Eurasia Review
This is the first PTA Bangladesh has signed with any country in the world. The PTA aims to establish a preferential trading arrangement, explore all appropriate measures to facilitate and promote bilateral trade.

(Editorial) Gap in education system?- Kensel
In these challenging times when we are redrawing the picture and shape of the Bhutanese education system, our investment in the system has been falling far too short.

Local businesses hopeful of better days- Kensel
Small businesses, who were affected the most by the lockdown, most also say are burdened with shop rents. Others have not paid the rent and are making for the lost time now.

(Op-Ed) How PTA Helps Bhutan and Bangladesh Fulfil Expectations of Their People- Eurasia Review
This is the first PTA Bangladesh has signed with any country in the world. The PTA aims to establish a preferential trading arrangement, explore all appropriate measures to facilitate and promote bilateral trade

42 plus percent of total positive cases emerge from P/ling and Samtse- Kuensel
Phuentsholing and Samtse alone have reported 1,071 positive cases in the current outbreak, accounting to more than 42 percent of the total Covid-19 cases in the country so far.

Space Science and Technology lessons to begin by year end- Kuensel
Students of Classes IX-XII will learn in the newly incorporated space science and technology (SST) lessons of the New Normal Physics curriculum (NNPC) which began this year.

Delay in parent stock import causes egg scarcity- Kuensel
Officials from the Department of Livestock said that the delay in import of parent stock–to produce the layer and broilers, and vendors hoarding eggs were the reasons for the short supply of eggs in the market causing the price rise.

One Bhutanese still in Kabul shares his account- The Bhutanese
Gurung has been in Afghanistan for seven years and he was witness to first the Taliban moving into Kandahar where he originally worked and recently into Kabul where he had shifted base.

To succeed in our endeavours, our Armed Forces must be intelligent, nimble, ever-changing and adaptive, evolving, responsive, and capable: His Majesty- The Bhutanese
His Majesty The King graced the Attestation Parade of the 77th group of Recruits to the Royal Bhutan Army at the Military Training Centre in Tencholing, Wangduephodrang.

The Time Is Ripe to Focus on India’s Water Ties with China, Pakistan and Bhutan- The Wire
The latest report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources of the Ministry of Jal Shakti presented to the Parliament highlights that in addition to domestic water management issues, the key roles played by these three countries.

Children in Bhutan at ‘risk’ of climate impacts, says UNICEF- Kuensel
“Bhutanese children are world’s 111th most vulnerable in UNICEF first ranking of countries based on their exposure and vulnerability to climate and environmental shocks”

Subsidizing utility vehicles to cooperatives will help farmers: Opposition Leader- Business Bhutan
“To rescue the farmers struggling to sell their produce, if the government comes up with production mapping and subsidizing utility vehicles to cooperatives, it will help the farmers at these times, according to Opposition Leader Dorji Wangdi. He said that it was the government that encouraged the farmers to increase production to meet local demand amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Now, farmers are struggling to sell their produce and the government should look into the issue immediately.””

Bhutan Responds to a Double Crisis- Kuensel
“The world observes World Humanitarian Day today amidst the double crisis of COVID-19 and the impact of climate change As someone who has always felt vulnerable to climate change, Jana Pelzom, 23, spends a lot of time thinking about a global crisis, which could accelerate the impact of climate change.”

Bhutan Sends 150,000 Vaccine Doses to Thailand amid COVID-19 Surge- Global Buddhist Door
“The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan has delivered 150,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to Buddhist-majority Thailand, which has been struggling with a vaccine shortage amid a rapidly escalating third wave of infections. The vaccine delivery, which arrived today, was approved under a swap agreement after the Thai government requested vaccines from Bhutan to help cover its domestic shortfall.”

The politics of forest cover and forest conservation in Bhutan- Kuensel
“In 2005, the Department of Forests reported in Kuensel that the true forest cover in the country was 64.35 %, not 72.5 %. The Department had taken out the 8.15% of shrub sub-class from the forest definition. That same year, the revision of the 1995 Land Cover report was being finalized, and it showed, the forest cover had increased from 72.5 to 81.5%. For some reason, the good news was not good news for the Department.”