Tshering Tobgay

Tshering Tobgay (born 19 September 1965) is a Bhutanese politician who is the seventh prime minister of Bhutan since 2024, having previously held the office from 2013 to 2018. Tobgay is the leader of the People's Democratic Party, and was also the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from March 2008 to April 2013.

Early life and education Tobgay was born on 19 September 1965 in Kalimpong, India, into a family of six brothers. Both of his parents helped develop the country of Bhutan. Tobgay's father was one of the first soldiers of the Royal Bhutan Army, while his mother participated in the construction of the first road connecting Bhutan to India.

Tobgay attended secondary schooling at the Dr. Graham's Homes School in Kalimpong, India, in the eastern Himalayas.

In 1990, Tobgay received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering after obtaining a scholarship from the United Nations. Tobgay also completed a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2004. Tobgay is schoolmate and good friend of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Prior to joining politics, he was serving in the Royal Government of Bhutan as the Director from 2003 to 2007.

Personal life Tobgay married Tashi Doma in 1998, and has two children. He is an avid cyclist and enjoys fitness, gym and yoga.

Career

Tobgay was a civil servant before he engaged in politics. He started his career in 1991 with the Technical and Vocational Education Section (TVES) of the Education Division in Bhutan. After his stint with the TVES from 1991 to 1999, Tobgay created and led the National Technical Training Authority (NTTA) as its Director from May 10, 1999 to June 30, 2003.

Tobgay also served from July 1, 2003 to February 1, 2007. in the Ministry of Labour and Human Resources as the director of the Human Resources department. Tobgay resigned from the Ministry of Labour in February 2007 and entered politics to serve his duties for the reigning king, who established democracy in 2008.

Speeches In 2015, Tobgay delivered a speech at Vibrant Gujarat, inviting leading corporates from across the globe to participate in business with Bhutan.

At a 2015 TED talk titled TEDxThimphu, Tobgay spoke about happiness and how common the theme of happiness was in other Ted Talks, including by Nancy Etcoff, and Silver Donald Cameron. In his speech, Tobgay emphasized that having a sense of purpose, identity, and security is important to become happy.

On 9 January 2019, Tobgay spoke at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) on the first ten years of democracy in Bhutan.

Accolades On 17 December 2014, the King of Bhutan presented Tobgay with the Lungmar Scarf for his efforts in the well-being of the nation while being Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Honours

He also received the Distinguished Leadership Award (2022) from the United Nations Hospitality Committee for UN Delegations during the Ambassadors’ Ball on December 10, 2022. This award honors individuals for their selfless contributions toward humanity in various fields, including conservation and humanitarian efforts.