40 Facts About Tshering Tobgay

Tshering Tobgay is a Bhutanese politician, environmentalist, and cultural advocate who is the Prime Minister of Bhutan since 28 January 2024 and served in office from July 2013 to August 2018.

Tshering 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.

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

In 1990, Tshering 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.

Tshering Tobgay married Tashi Doma in 1998, and has two children.

Tshering Tobgay is an avid cyclist and enjoys fitness, gym and yoga.

Tshering Tobgay was a civil servant before he engaged in politics.

Tshering Tobgay started his career in 1991 with the Technical and Vocational Education Section of the Education Division in Bhutan.

Tshering Tobgay served from July 1,2003 to February 1,2007.

Tshering 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.

Tshering Tobgay was a co-founder member of the People's Democratic Party and was responsible for establishing the Party as Bhutan's first registered political party.

At the 2008 election, the PDP only obtained two seats, with Tshering Tobgay winning one of the seats.

In 2009, the PDP's leader Sangay Ngedup resigned from his position, and Tshering Tobgay took over as the party's leader.

Rather than simply promoting Gross National Happiness, Tshering Tobgay believes that the principles of GNH has to be implemented, and some of the important problems that need to be addressed are youth unemployment, corruption, and national debt.

Human rights is an ideology of Tshering Tobgay he has not spoken publicly about LGBT rights in Bhutan, where homosexual acts were formerly illegal, since an anti-gay law was imposed by British colonialists.

In 2015, Tshering 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, Tshering Tobgay spoke about happiness and how common the theme of happiness was in other Ted Talks, including by Nancy Etcoff, and Silver Donald Cameron.

At a 2016 TED talk in Vancouver, Tshering Tobgay spoke about Bhutan's pledge to remain carbon neutral forever.

Tshering Tobgay shared his country's mission to put happiness before economic growth, and set a world standard for environmental preservation.

Tshering Tobgay spoke at the UN general assembly in 2017, resonating Bhutan's environmental achievements, and the need of the world to unite to save the environment.

At the 2017 World Government Summit in Dubai, the UAE, Tshering Tobgay described the role of government in achieving citizen happiness during the Global Dialogue for Happiness.

In 2018, Tshering Tobgay delivered a speech at a global investor summit, where he emphasizes the importance of fulfilling the aspirations of Assam's youth and discusses potential opportunities for investment and development in the region.

At the 2018 Singapore Summit, Tshering Tobgay addressed the unique challenges faced by small, landlocked nations like Bhutan, particularly in the context of development while surrounded by larger neighbors.

Tshering Tobgay emphasized Bhutan's commitment to Gross National Happiness as a guiding philosophy, advocating for a holistic approach to human development that prioritizes environmental sustainability and social equity over purely economic growth.

Tshering Tobgay highlighted the importance of international cooperation, asserting that lasting national success is not achievable in isolation.

Tshering Tobgay reflected on the strong bilateral relations between Bhutan and Singapore, expressing appreciation for Singapore's support and its innovative approaches to development, from which Bhutan sought to learn.

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

In September 2019, Tshering Tobgay spoke at TED concerning the impacts of global warming on the world's "Third Pole" - the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.

Tshering Tobgay speaks to a report stating two-thirds of the glaciers could be gone by the end of the century; having impacts on over 2 billion people living in the region and further downstream.

Tshering Tobgay discussed Bhutan's efforts to balance economic growth with social progress, environmental protection, and cultural preservation.

Tshering Tobgay emphasized the importance of governments creating happiness for their people and shared Bhutan's successes in improving health, education, and reducing poverty.

Tshering Tobgay proposed the idea of GNH certification for businesses to promote holistic well-being in corporate practices.

Tshering Tobgay introduced the Gelephu Mindfulness City as a model for mindful and sustainable urban living, inviting global collaboration and investment.

Tshering Tobgay called for UN reforms, including Security Council expansion, and urged the international community to support other LDCs in achieving graduation, emphasizing the need for collective progress and global cooperation.

At COP29 in Baku, Tshering Tobgay highlighted the importance of carbon markets in securing sustainable, non-debt funding for conservation, emphasizing Bhutan's commitment to environmental stewardship.

Tshering Tobgay showcased Bhutan's collaboration with global partners like the World Bank and Singapore as a model for high-integrity carbon markets that drive both economic resilience and climate action.

Tshering Tobgay received the HCUND Distinguished Leadership Award at the 2022 Ambassadors Ball commemorating the 77th Anniversary of the United Nations and provided a speech where he highlighted the importance of enlightened leadership, which he defined as exercising wisdom, compassion, and courage.

Tshering Tobgay called for more leaders in the world who possess these qualities, particularly in addressing the existential threat of climate change and the suffering it causes.

Tshering Tobgay was awarded the German Sustainability Award for his outstanding contributions to promoting sustainability in Bhutan.

Tshering Tobgay received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the United Nations Hospitality Committee for UN Delegations during the Ambassadors' Ball on December 10,2022.