Embassy of IndiaThimphu

A. Excerpts from MEA Annual report wrt Bhutan

India and Bhutan share close and friendly relations characterized by deep mutual trust and understanding. Prime Minister of Bhutan visited India in January 2016 to attend the 2 nd Bengal Global Business Summit 2016 in Kolkata in January 2016 as Chief Guest. In May 2016, he visited India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister, West Bengal in Kolkata and thereafter in October 2016 to attend the BRICSBIMSTEC Outreach Summit in Goa. From the Indian side, MoS for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju visited Bhutan from 2-4 July 2016 to attend the International Conference on Tradition and Innovation in Vajrayana Buddhism. MoS (IC) for Commerce & Industry, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman visited Bhutan from 11-13 November 2016 to sign the Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit between India and Bhutan.

Institutional mechanisms, hydro-power cooperation and regional meetings

A Bhutanese delegation led by Home Secretary, Mr. Sonam Topgay visited New Delhi from 7-8 November 2016 for the 11th round of India Bhutan Secretary Level Talks on Border Management and Security. Minister of Home & Cultural Affairs, Mr. Dawa Gyaltshen, visited India from 3-5 November 2016 to participate in the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), during which he had a bilateral meeting with Home Minister of India. The members of the Public Accounts Committee of Bhutan visited India in May 2016. Minister of Economic Affairs, Mr. Lekey Dorji, visited India in May 2016 for the meeting of Mangdechhu Hydro Power Authority, from 5-7 December 2016 to attend the Petro-Tech 2016 Conference, and on 10-12 January 2017 for participating at the meetings of Punatsangchhu HydroPower Authority I and II in New Delhi. The 15th Meeting of the Empowered Joint Group on Hydropower Cooperation was held in Thimphu on 9 December 2016. The meeting reviewed the implementation of the ongoing hydro-electric projects, which are being implemented under the 2006 Agreement on Cooperation in Hydropower and the Protocol to the 2006 Agreement signed in March 2009. In June 2016, a delegation led by Director General of Directorate General of Performance Management, (Customs and Central Excise), Government of India visited Bhutan for verification and quantification of the Excise Duty Refund claim of RGoB for the year 2015. The 2nd India-Bhutan Joint Working Group Customs Meeting was held on 10 January 2017 in Thimphu.

Development cooperation

The 5th Annual India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks or the 5th Plan Talks was held on December 2016 in Thimphu. With Bhutan’s 11th Five Year Plan (2013-18) entering its fourth year, the two sides reviewed the overall progress of PTA and SDP projects. The India-Bhutan e-Library Project was inaugurated on 5 September 2016, which was announced during PM’s visit to Bhutan in June 2014. The main components of the project include provision of basic IT infrastructure to 49 schools and 12 colleges. The Centre of Development of Advance Computing (CDAC), a GoI Undertaking, is the nodal implementing agency of the project.

Every year GoI provides 200 training slots under ITEC programme and a further 60 slots under TCS Colombo Plan in various fields to Bhutanese for upgrading their administrative and technical skills. In the current academic year, the ITEC/ TCS slots have been increased from 260 to 360 slots for 2016, out of which 243 were utilized. Ten officers from Bhutan are trained in premier government training institutions of India under the Colombo Plan every year. In addition, India has been deputing lecturers to various colleges affiliated to the Royal University of Bhutan. The Nehru-Wangchuck Scholarships were awarded to 8 Bhutanese scholars for the year 2016-17, while the stipend for such scholars was doubled in pursuance of the announcement to that effect made by Prime Minister during his visit to Bhutan in June 2014. The Ambassador’s Scholarship was awarded to 856 Bhutanese students who are studying in various colleges in India on self financing basis. Twenty three fully funded slots were provided to Bhutanese students by ICCR during 2016.

An MoU was signed between the Department of Engineering Services of the Ministry of Works and Human Settlement, RGoB and Central Public Works Department (CPWD) on technical co-operation in the field of capacity building, bench marking & bilateral exchange in infrastructure engineering on 23 December 2016 in Thimphu.

On 26 June 2016, the Mission organized a mega Yoga Session to commemorate the 2nd International Day of Yoga at the Royal Institute of Management, Thimphu. The Bhutanese Prime Minister was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

India-Bhutan Commerce Secretary Level Talks was held from 18-19 January 2017 in New Delhi.

B. Budget allocation to Bhutan under India’s Technical Cooperation Programme

C. List of MoUs signed between India and Bhutan in 2016

***