Development Challenges in Bhutan

Development Challenges in Bhutan PDF Author: Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319479253
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 269

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Book Description
This book provides essential insights into Bhutan’s developmental challenges. It analyzes and scrutinizes the sovereign state’s developmental approach, including the idea of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which has replaced Gross National Product (GNP) as a measurement of prosperity. The authors also explore and deconstruct ideational and cultural aspects of knowledge production and present a critical overall assessment of the political economy of education policy, health, ICT and migration in Bhutan. The book is divided into five parts all taking a critical approach towards inequality: Part one offers an assessment of Bhutan’s developmental trajectories; part two deals with GNH, equality and inclusion versus exclusion; part three is devoted to culture, legal issues and the politics of change; and part four to governance and integration; section five addresses health, food and disparities. This book will appeal to all scholars of South Asian affairs and development studies, as well as to diplomats and professionals involved in development aid.

Development Challenges in Bhutan

Development Challenges in Bhutan PDF Author: Johannes Dragsbaek Schmidt
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319479253
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 269

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book provides essential insights into Bhutan’s developmental challenges. It analyzes and scrutinizes the sovereign state’s developmental approach, including the idea of Gross National Happiness (GNH), which has replaced Gross National Product (GNP) as a measurement of prosperity. The authors also explore and deconstruct ideational and cultural aspects of knowledge production and present a critical overall assessment of the political economy of education policy, health, ICT and migration in Bhutan. The book is divided into five parts all taking a critical approach towards inequality: Part one offers an assessment of Bhutan’s developmental trajectories; part two deals with GNH, equality and inclusion versus exclusion; part three is devoted to culture, legal issues and the politics of change; and part four to governance and integration; section five addresses health, food and disparities. This book will appeal to all scholars of South Asian affairs and development studies, as well as to diplomats and professionals involved in development aid.

Politics of Gross National Happiness

Politics of Gross National Happiness PDF Author: Kent Schroeder
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319653881
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 162

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Book Description
This book explores the practices of governance in Bhutan and how they shape the implementation of the country’s Gross National Happiness (GNH) development strategy. The author examines whether Bhutan’s innovative GNH governance framework successfully navigates competing power dynamics and generates the intended human development outcomes of Gross National Happiness. The analysis is structured around a comparison of the implementation of four GNH development policies – tourism, media, farm roads and human/wildlife conflict – and their larger implications on power, governance and the human development paradigm in Bhutan and beyond.

Tantric State

Tantric State PDF Author: William J. Long
Publisher:
ISBN: 019084339X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Bhutan is the only mixed-market, democratic nation in the world founded on Buddhist principles and values, rather than Western-liberal ones. This book explains Bhutan's unique model of democracy and economic development, its philosophical foundations and its practical relevance as an alternative approach to today's political and economic challenges.

Democratic Transition in Bhutan

Democratic Transition in Bhutan PDF Author: Sonam Kinga
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000712958
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 453

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Book Description
This book studies how a modern monarchy transformed Bhutan into a parliamentary democracy. A political ethnography, it focuses on the historic elections of 2007–2008, and studies democracy and its transformational processes from the ground up. It draws on historical as well as contemporary theories about kingship and regime change to analyse Bhutan’s nascent democratic process and reflect on the direction of political change, both at the state and local levels in the aftermath of the elections. It also presents insights into the electoral and political process by giving a first-hand account of the author’s own participation in the elections and ponders on the larger political implications of this election for the region. A strong theoretical discussion situated in robust fieldwork and personal experience, this book will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of politics, especially comparative politics and political institutions, South Asian and Himalayan Studies, political sociology and social anthropology.

Connecting the Disconnected

Connecting the Disconnected PDF Author: Cecile T. Niang
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821398342
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 104

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Book Description
Connecting the Disconnected presents the findings of the field research designed to evaluate financial practices and strategies among urban and rural Bhutanese households. The study was commissioned in 2012 by the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan and the World Bank to provide qualitative evidence to the country's Financial Inclusion Policy. The book explores where, how, and why diff erent demographic groups save, borrow, send remittances, and insure themselves; it also evaluates the potential for innovations to extend fi nancial inclusion. Analysis of results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews reveals three key patterns: Bhutan is a cash-based economy where households have a vibrant, if informal, savings and lending culture; rural areas are particularly underserved by formal fi nancial services; and women and youth represent an untapped market segment. The book reveals a demand for financial services with less complex and time-consuming banking procedures than are currently off ered-in particular, small, periodic savings and loan services; more accessible deposit and withdrawal services; and flexible loan requirements. In response to the demand for saving locally and in small amounts, group savings schemes and cooperatives are slowly emerging in Bhutan. These could serve rural communities until households become integrated into the formal financial system, though support and capacity building will be critical to ensure that savings are protected. Households struggle with banks' requirements and procedures and turn instead to informal lenders. Even households with some access to the formal fi nancial sector continue to use informal financing. The findings highlight a need for formal microfinance services providing small group and individual loans with flexible repayments. Savings strategies and attitudes suggest that Bhutanese households could benefit from fi nancial literacy education. More eff ective consumer protection is also needed. For instance, dispute resolution that is easily accessed would increase trust in the fi nancial sector. Also, the spread of mobile phone banking has been constrained by the limited mobile banking technology in use and low English-language literacy. However, the widespread use of mobile phones suggests that innovative technology could create new opportunities. Other innovative strategies worth considering include branchless banking to improve fi nancial access in remote areas. Finally, use of insurance services appears to be limited by a lack of knowledge. Remittances are used to send money both within Bhutan and abroad, but many rural communities lack access to formal remittance services and must rely instead on informal-and often expensive-options.

Education in Bhutan

Education in Bhutan PDF Author: Matthew J. Schuelka
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9811016496
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
Bhutan is a country in the Himalayas with a relatively new education system and a unique governmental philosophy known as Gross National Happiness. This book explores the history, culture, challenges, and opportunities of schooling in Bhutan. It discusses topics including historical perspectives on Buddhist monastic education, the regional and international influence on educational development, traditional medical education, higher education, and the evolution of Bhutanese educational policy, to name but a few. It also investigates contemporary challenges to schooling in Bhutan such as adult education, inclusive education, early childhood education, rurality, and gender. Throughout the book, the developmental philosophy of Gross National Happiness is explored as a novel and culturally vital approach to education in Bhutan. The majority of the authors are prominent Bhutanese scholars and educational leaders, with select non-Bhutanese international scholars with strong links to Bhutan also contributing. This book is a valuable resource not only for those specifically interested in education in Bhutan, but for anyone with an interest in South Asian studies, general Asian studies, educational development, comparative education, Buddhist education, and the Gross National Happiness development philosophy.

Gross National Happiness and Macroeconomic Indicators in the Kingdom of Bhutan

Gross National Happiness and Macroeconomic Indicators in the Kingdom of Bhutan PDF Author: Sriram Balasubramanian
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484389719
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 26

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Book Description
This paper examines the origins and use of the concept of Gross National Happiness (or subjective well-being) in the Kingdom of Bhutan, and the relationship between measured well-being and macroeconomic indicators. While there are only a few national surveys of Gross National Happiness in Bhutan, the concept has been used to guide public policymaking for the country’s various Five-Year Plans. Consistent with the Easterlin Paradox, available evidence indicates that Bhutan’s rapid increase in national income is only weakly associated with increases in measured levels of well-being. It will be important for Bhutan to undertake more frequent Gross National Happiness surveys and evaluations, to better build evidence for comovement of well-being and macroeconomic concepts such as real national income.

Human Security in South Asia

Human Security in South Asia PDF Author: Adluri Subramanyam Raju
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000651568
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
This book delves into the theory and praxis of human security in South Asia. Home to almost a quarter of the world’s population and fast emerging markets, South Asia holds social, geopolitical and economic significance in the current global context. The chapters in the volume: examine the challenges to human security through an exploration of environmental issues including water availability, electric waste, environmental governance and climate change; explore key themes such as development, displacement and migration, the role of civil society, sustainable development and poverty; and discuss developmental issues in South Asia and provide a holistic picture of non-military security issues. Bringing together scholars from varied disciplines, this comprehensive volume will be useful for researchers, teachers and students of international relations, human rights, political science, development studies, human geography and demography, defense and strategic studies, migration and diaspora studies, and South Asian studies.

The Long Shadow of Informality

The Long Shadow of Informality PDF Author: Franziska Ohnsorge
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464817545
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 397

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Book Description
A large percentage of workers and firms operate in the informal economy, outside the line of sight of governments in emerging market and developing economies. This may hold back the recovery in these economies from the deep recessions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic--unless governments adopt a broad set of policies to address the challenges of widespread informality. This study is the first comprehensive analysis of the extent of informality and its implications for a durable economic recovery and for long-term development. It finds that pervasive informality is associated with significantly weaker economic outcomes--including lower government resources to combat recessions, lower per capita incomes, greater poverty, less financial development, and weaker investment and productivity.

The Bhutan Electric Vehicle Initiative

The Bhutan Electric Vehicle Initiative PDF Author: Da Zhu
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464807558
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 205

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Book Description
As the country that inspires the world with ‘gross national happiness’ development philosophy, Bhutan is striving to pursue its economic growth while committing to its core values of inclusive and green development. Even with robust economic growth rates, Bhutan’s dependence on imports and hydropower revenues drives the country to search for self-reliant option to fuel the economy while further decarbonizing the economy. Electric vehicle is being explored as one of the key policies to introduce green mobility, reduce fossil fuel imports and put the country firmly on a green growth path. Globally, electric vehicles market and technology are still in the nascent stage but are developing rapidly. The automotive industry has adopted electrification as a pillar of future drive train technology. EV uptake is expected to increase significantly with ongoing improvements in technology and resulting cost decreases in the global market. This report aims to help Bhutan think through various technical and policy issues of introducing electric vehicles in its own context. It analyses a variety of factors that will impact adoption of electric vehicles from technical, market and financial feasibility to consumer awareness and stakeholders’ capacity. It also addresses several policy questions which are at the heart of public debate such as affordability of the government to undertake the program, economic costs and benefits, distributional impact, fiscal, and macroeconomic implications. Drawing from vast international experiences, the report examines in great technical details how global cutting-edge technology like electric vehicles could be pursued in the context of developing economies with different socio-economic characteristics and constraints compared to advanced economies. It will help readers better grasp the technical, financial, economic and social challenges as well as opportunities in initiating electric vehicles program and provide practical recommendations that will be useful for policy makers in designing their own EV initiative.