𝐆𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏,𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝

…𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚 15 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒅 𝒂 𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

By Sonam Deki

Gyalsung, which translates to “service to the nation,” is designed to tap into the latent potential of Bhutanese youth, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to the Tsawa-Sum- the King, Country, and People. By engaging in this program, young citizens are expected to emerge as productive and worthy individuals, fully actualized in their capabilities and committed to the welfare of their nation.

The first batch of participants is anticipated to commence their training in September 2024, marking a significant milestone in Bhutan’s journey towards fostering a unified and resilient generation ready to uphold and advance the values and aspirations of the Bhutanese nation.

As of February 2nd, before noon, 11,300 individuals born in 2005 have registered. Among them, 5,778 are female, and 5,522 are male. Approximately 13,000 eligible youths are targeted for registration, although this number may fluctuate. The Gyalsung initiative has commenced its countdown to the registration deadline, set for February 15, 2024. With the deadline approaching, there remains a significant number yet to complete the registration process.

A notable observation is that many youths have initiated the registration process on the Gyalsung portal but have not completed all the required steps. The registration process is twofold. The first step, Sign Up, marks the beginning of the Gyalsung journey from the age of 15 years. All Bhutanese citizens who meet this age criterion, whether they are school students or out-of-school youths, can sign up for Gyalsung through the official website or online portal.

The second step, Registration, becomes relevant when the youth reach the age of 18 or, for those in school, upon completing class 12. Following the receipt of a Registration Notification, they are required to log in to the National Service (NS) portal, submit family details, and select their skilling preferences, among other actions.

As per Gyalsung, “The objective behind this initiative is not to penalize anyone, which is why enforcement has been initiated gently. Efforts are being made to reach out to all youths born in 2005, through various means including social media, collaboration with local governments, and a dedicated call center for Gyalsung. Here, a team of Dessups, who are volunteers, personally contacts each eligible individual, offering assistance with the registration process.”

His Majesty The King announced the launch of Gyalsung- Bhutan’s National Service- during the Royal Address to the nation on the 112th National Day of Bhutan on 17 December 2019.

His Majesty has envisioned the institution of Gyalsung as a means to empower all Bhutanese youth to participate in the process of nation-building to further enhance the security, peace, unity, harmony, and sovereignty of our nation.
The Gyalsung Program aims to realize the above vision by enabling each and every Bhutanese youth to actualize their inherent potential and become productive and worthy citizens in the service of the Tsawa-Sum (The King, Country, and People).

The National Service is a fundamental duty mandatorily required of all Bhutanese citizens as enshrined in Article 8.1 of the Constitution. The Gyalsung Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan was adopted by the Parliament of Bhutan on 11th November 2022. According to the Gyalsung Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2022, section 74 states that a person who fails to register for Gyalsung Training upon receiving the notice commits an offense and shall be fined the daily minimum national wage rate up to a maximum of ninety days.