PM Modi became the first foreign leader to receive the Order of the Druk Gyalpo.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been awarded Bhutan’s highest civilian honour ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. Prime Minister Modi is the first foreign leader to be given this prestigious award.

Highlights of the Order of the Druk Gyalpo Ceremony

• The award was presented at a ceremony held at the Tashichho Dzong Palace in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan. 
• The King of Bhutan announced the award during the 114th National Day celebrations of Bhutan held in Thimpu in December 2021. 
• The award has been given to Prime Minister Modi for his significant contribution in strengthening India-Bhutan relations and his distinguished service to the Bhutanese nation and people. 
• The award honors India’s emergence as a global power under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and celebrates Bhutan’s special bond with India. Prime Minister Modi’s leadership has led India on the path of transformation and has increased India’s moral hegemony and global stature. 
• This is Bhutan’s highest honor and this award was established as a decoration for lifetime achievement and it is supreme among all the honors, decorations and medals given in Bhutan.

PM Modi’s visit to Bhutan

• Prime Minister Modi is on a two-day visit to Bhutan from 22 to 23 March 2024.
• The purpose of this visit is to promote the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Bhutan and the Government’s ‘Neighborhood First Policy’.
• On 22 March, he met Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck in Thimpu.
• During this, PM Modi inaugurated the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu.
• 22 March India and Bhutan signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in the field of energy, trade, digital connectivity, space and agriculture and finalized the agreement on rail connectivity between the two countries.

Note : Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay visited India (14-18 March 2024) during his first foreign visit.  

India–Bhutan relations

• India and Bhutan have political and diplomatic relations.
• Bhutan became a member of the United Nations in 1971, a member of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1973 and in 1977 India upgraded the status of Bhutan’s embassy.
• India-Bhutan relations began with the Sinchula Treaty of 1865, which gave Bhutan the status of a princely state of India. This treaty was signed between Bhutan and British India.
• The Punarwa Treaty was signed between the two countries in 1910.
• The Darjeeling Treaty was signed again between the two countries in 1949.
• In 2007, King Jigme Singye Khesar Namgyel Wangchun signed a Friendship Treaty during his visit to India.

About Bhutan 

• International Border: India, China
• Capital: Thimpu
• Currency: Ngultrum
• Language: Dzongkha
• King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
• Prime Minister: Tshering Tobgay

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