# Tshering Tobgay

Tshering Tobgay (Dzongkha: ཚེ་རིང་སྟོབས་རྒྱས།; born 19 September 1965) is a Bhutanese politician, environmentalist, and cultural advocate who is the Prime Minister of Bhutan since 28 January 2024 and also served in office from July 2013 to August 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 in Kalimpong, India. Tobgay was born 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.
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.

### Politics

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 Tobgay winning one of the seats. In 2009, the PDP's leader Sangay Ngedup resigned from his position, and Tobgay took over as the party's leader. After the 2013 election, Tobgay was elected as Prime Minister of Bhutan by a secret ballot.
After People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) won 30 seats (out of 47) in the 2024 general election, Tshering Tobgay is set to become Prime Minister again.

#### 2013 campaign

During Tobgay's campaign in the 2013 election, Tobgay focused on improving Bhutan with small promises. Instead of following in his predecessor's footsteps and promoting the Gross National Happiness, Tobgay pledged to give each village a power tiller, utility vehicles for each district and two national ambulance helicopters. Tobgay's election campaign focused on improving the economy which had then fallen to a record low of 2%. The campaign also promised strengthening the rural economy, reforming the education sector, and empowering local government.

#### Ideologies

Rather than simply promoting Gross National Happiness, 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. Tobgay also concentrates on stopping corruption in Bhutan's government, and interacting with the Bhutanese population. Human rights is also an ideology of Tobgay, however, 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.

## 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.
At a 2016 TED talk in Vancouver, Tobgay spoke about Bhutan's pledge to remain carbon neutral forever. He shared his country's mission to put happiness before economic growth, and set a world standard for environmental preservation. He 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, 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. He emphasized Bhutan's commitment to Gross National Happiness (GNH) as a guiding philosophy, advocating for a holistic approach to human development that prioritizes environmental sustainability and social equity over purely economic growth. Tobgay highlighted the importance of international cooperation, asserting that lasting national success is not achievable in isolation. He 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, Tobgay spoke at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) on the first ten years of democracy in Bhutan.
In September 2019, Tobgay once again spoke at TED concerning the impacts of global warming on the world's "Third Pole" - the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. He 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.
In his speech at the WATS Forum 2019, Tshering highlighted Bhutan's development approach focused on Gross National Happiness (GNH) instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He discussed Bhutan's efforts to balance economic growth with social progress, environmental protection, and cultural preservation. He emphasized the importance of governments creating happiness for their people and shared Bhutan's successes in improving health, education, and reducing poverty. He also proposed the idea of GNH certification for businesses to promote holistic well-being in corporate practices.
Tobgay, in the 79th session of the UNGA, highlighted Bhutan’s progress since joining the UN in 1971, culminating in its graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category through sustainable development guided by Gross National Happiness. He introduced the Gelephu Mindfulness City as a model for mindful and sustainable urban living, inviting global collaboration and investment. He also 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, Tobgay highlighted the importance of carbon markets in securing sustainable, non-debt funding for conservation, emphasizing Bhutan’s commitment to environmental stewardship. He 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.
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. He 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.

## 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

* Bhutan :
** The Royal Orange Scarf (16 June 2008).
** The Royal Red Scarf (17 December 2014).

## Awards

Tobgay was awarded the German Sustainability Award (GSA) for his outstanding contributions to promoting sustainability in Bhutan. This recognition was presented at an event in Düsseldorf, Germany, on November 25, 2016. 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.