30 December, 2009 – The mood among hundreds of expectant graduates, who sat for the 2009 civil service entrance examination, was no brighter than the gloomy weather yesterday at the Kelki school premises, where they had come to check their placements in government jobs.The government, which is still the largest employer, will take in only 336 of the 943 graduates that joined the job market this year. This means a little more than [... Read More]
29 December, 2009 – Content regulation has once again become the topic of discussion after several cable TV channels were yanked off the air in the past week.More than a dozen channels were switched off in response to a reminder from the Bhutan information & communication media authority (BICMA) to limit the number of channels to 40 as per an existing agreement.
Channels that went to the chopping block include a number of sports and a [... Read More]
28 December, 2009 – Bjobs or brokpas (highlanders) have never been in the limelight as much as this week when they were the highlight of the three-day nomad festival in Bumthang.The festival, which showcased our nomadic communitys products and cultures, comes at a time when the internet, television and other media tend to dominate and determine our perceptions.
The festival, which provided a platform for the highlanders to share experiences and problems, also offered many [... Read More]
26 December, 2009 – Women swept this years top positions in the Bhutan Civil Service Examinations. It is not the first time women have achieved this and it will definitely not be the last.How one eventually fares from here on depends on numerous factors, some beyond anyones control, but the achievement gives a head start to careers and aspirations, hopes and dreams.
Their success only reconfirms what Bhutanese women have been saying for a some [... Read More]
25 December, 2009 – There is only one starting point to resolve any problem big and small that is ones self. Each one of us must embark upon our personal journey towards the timeless goal of living a good life being a good human being even as we tackle the worlds largest problems.These were the closing words of the royal address at Madhavrao Scindia Memorial Lecture to a high profile [... Read More]
24 December, 2009 – His Majesty the Kings first state visit to India after formally becoming the Fifth Druk Gyalpo is of great significance to the two friendly neighbours in the region. It is not only a testimony of bilateral relations at its height, continuously nurtured through times, but a sign of things to come.India had always supported Bhutan in practically all areas of the development process. From roads and telecommunication facilities to [... Read More]
23 December, 2009 – How people are addressed, particularly those who have held or hold rank and file in the government, is not an issue when it comes to oral traditions.The head of an organisation or a government agency is normally addressed as a Dasho by their subordinate staff. So are commissioned officers in the security forces, the head of dzongkhag administrations, as well as individuals of well-known and influential families.
Who is to be [... Read More]
22 December, 2009 – Whichever part of the globe it may be, salaries and perks of parliamentarians have never failed to draw a lot of flak.The general criticism is that they do much less than what they are paid, which comes out from the taxpayers money.
Our parliament members have also come under a lot of fire in the past week over a pay hike issue that will, if it comes through, give them a second [... Read More]
21 December, 2009 – One would think that liberalising the tourist tariff would make tour operators happy as it empowers them to set their own charges.Instead many object that removing the minimum USD 200 a day tariff right now could hurt the Bhutanese tourism industry in a way that it may be irreversible. Several contend that it just might be too early to do it.
The proposal to quash the tariff structure is coming from [... Read More]
19 December, 2009 – The speculation over who would become Bhutans first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is over.The former chief justice of the High Court has been nominated as Bhutans first Supreme Court chief justice by the Royal Commission formed a month ago to establish Bhutans Supreme Court.
The commission, consisting mainly of constitutional post holders, is not letting on who were the other nominees for now, but a 35-page report has been prepared [... Read More]