May 16, 2022: My talk on GNH to 100 employees (25 in-person & 75 virtually) at Boston Federal Reserve

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May 5, 2022: Class Commencement Speech- 2021-22 Humphrey Program Boston University

Thank you for voting me and giving me the most precious and singular honour to give this class commencement speech. I am very glad to take this role and share some personal anecdotes- a chance I plan to take full advantage of now.

One of the things we learned in the Humphrey Leadership program is story telling.

So let me tell you a story.

More than 8 months ago on August of 15 and 16 2021, as soon as we landed at the Boston Logan Airport…, 11 of us boarded the ship called Humphrey Program Boston University. The captain of the ship was called Yoo Jin and the Co-captains were named Kristyn and Wendy. We all said “aye aye captain” – meaning leaving behind our beautiful job, family, and friends in our country to embrace a new chapter in our life of leadership journey.

So the first thing the captain and the co-captain said to greet us WAS…. “put on your mask” and “show me your green badge”. Eventually, it became a ritual showing of the green badges every week with our faces covered.

And then only said “welcome abroad- We shall make a journey across seven seas of leadership”. And sooo did the… Journey of seven seas began.

The first journey was the rigorous journey of the online orientation program for two weeks acquainting us with opening a bank account, library account, orienting with sexual harassment, matching us up with host families and last and most exciting part of the orientation was the Boston Duck Tour. It was exciting not because we got to scream quack quack. And not because the tour guide said “on the right this is the old statehouse built in 1713” but because, we saw the entire cohort including the co-captains…. in person for the first time after 2 weeks of our arrival. Oh what a journey we had…Quack quack…So while Captains were busy setting rules and orienting us… We quietly sneaked into each other’s room at Buswell street and North Boston to know each other’s culture, politics, government, problems, food, songs and dances, women….. and man and many other things. I was the first to break the ice to share about Gross National Happiness of Bhutan.  

The second most important journey was the weekly Humphrey Leadership seminars and site visits. In this leadership journey, our Captain taught us the concepts of cultural & emotional intelligence, story-telling, growth mindset, managing difficult conversations, stereotypes AND… challenging the status quo. Oh my we… Challenged Ourselves…Against each other AND ..Also the Captain. Charles Dickens quote “It was the best of times and It was the worst of times” unquote. After all….A gem cannot be polished without friction. And I am very proud to say Now that we built Bridges and Not Walls amongst ourselves- a quotation that not only hangs in front of our Humphrey Office but IS…deeply within each and every one of us.

The third and most fascinating journey was the journey with Host families which Barbera described the journey a moment ago. I will always remember the first day I met with my host family Doris, Don and Gloria at Davis Square.On behalf of all the Humphrey Fellows, I would like to express our gratitude to all the host families for getting us easily acquainted with Boston and exposing us the American culture.We thank you for making our weekends and holidays wonderful;We thank you all for taking us into to several places, shopping, Christmas lighting, hiking, skiing, watching games, And… concerts, And…for the FREE food, including Marshmallows and Lobsters… Most importantly we thank you for making our stay at Boston meaningful and educational with full of joy and happiness. Directly/indirectly you all helped us step away from the ABYSS of getting depressed or missing our friends and family back home and making our Humphrey Program the most memorable one. To All our Dear host families, Thank you so much. 

The fourth journey was the journey of a minimum of 10 hrs of community service. We kick started this journey with 2-hour Charles River clean up. Never felt like undergoing a mandatory service to make up FOR… something wrong you have committed in high schools. Instead, we enjoyed and Felt Great contributing our services. Today as I walk across this beautiful walkway, I walk with a sense of belongingness.

The Fifth journey we had…. was the journey of individual program plans… So each of us traveled separately to deep dive into our four academic classes and 2-3 PDP classes spread over two semesters. I must say BU stands out for Humphrey Fellows because of the erudite professors. I salute BU. And thank you all the professors and Academic Advisors.

The sixth journey was the journey of conferences and networking.  We all attended the one-week Global Leadership Forum at Washington DC in fall last year.  A conference amongst 161 Humphrey fellows from 94 different countries. Wow, we felt it was a mini–United Nation Conference. We also attended the workshops and conferences at the BU, MIT, Harvard, Syracuse and California AND extended our Networks. Well- some of us also made it for dinner party with Michelle Wu. This journey provided us the platform to build network of friendship with professionals around the world and with the Americans. Today, I am very proud to share that….Within just 9 months I have made intimate network of Humphrey friends all over 30 countries in the world and made professional networks from the streets of Manhattan New York to the headquarters of Boston Federal Reserve. From universities in East coast of Boston and Harvard….to the West coast of UC Davis- California, and the institutions in Massachusetts from Greenway Park-Boston to…Washington Trust Bank-Rhode Island. 

The last and the seventh journey and the most important journey, which many of us are still continuing is the journey of Professional Affiliation of working in a US institution for six weeks. I am very proud to announce that Mrs Marry Noons and Mr. Steven Larson my Supervisor from Washington Trust Bank is here with us today. Thank you for coming. Mrs Marry and Mr. Steve has been very kind to share me all his banking experience and is helping me every week to design an affordable housing program for hardworking civil servants in my country. I ask a lot of questions to him every week. Mrs Marry and Mr. Steve thank you for having me at your bank and I appreciate your time and all your responses. I am confident all my fellows are equally enjoying this final journey.

My Capstone presentation yesterday was inspired by my experience from working at Washington Trust Bank. I admire the leadership and organizational culture of the bank. And I enjoyed the Eminem songs you danced with… during the Best Employee Award Day. I am also learning a lot of American expressions like “I am going bananas” and “you are So sick”- meaning you are awesome. I have many things to emulate from this quintessential bank. 

Finally, as we prepare to dock out of the Humphrey ship today, I want everyone here to join me to than our Captain Yoo Jin and Co-captains Kristin and Wendy for job well done. We are all set.

Thank you to all the US Tax payers and government for funding this program. Thank you, Joe Biden Mr President and Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State for signing our certificates. 

And also, to our parents, spouse and family whether you are physically here OR back in our country. Thank you for the support. This Humphrey certificate is dedicated to you.

In concluding my speech today, I want to say three things reflecting our Humphry leadership journey. 

One: Our Humphrey time here at Boston will not be remembered by grades, awesome presentations, popularity, and places you visited, but by the relationships we built over time. As one of the wise men said “it is not the destination it is the journey”. I enjoyed my journey with you all. AND I hope to continue this friendship/relationship we forged together.

Two: Going ahead…As we embark or resume our leadership journey in our respective organizations or wherever your passion lies ahead. Let us all "leave a legacy" and "achieve greatness" like Hubert Humphrey. And in doing so not to be deceived with greed for money, recognition and power, but to leave those with Whom you cross paths with little more happiness and hope….So good luck everyone in your new journey. 

Third and Final one: AS I reflect … the journey of SEVEN seas….And few of us become parents in the process, I now reflect that leadership is… ALL about.. committing oneself to be an infinite scholar of parenthood for the growth and development of the community we live in.  Therefore, in this very hall of Questrom School of Business, I want to announce my four leadership commitments and I urge everyone to join me.

One: Let us all commit for bigger world/community rather than for ourselves/our institutions.

Two: Let us all commit for integrity rather than Rules. 

Three: Let us all commit for Actions rather than the fancy position titles. and

Four: most importantly Let us all commit for Leadership of self rather than Leadership of Others.

Congratulations to 2021-22 BU Humphrey Fellows and to those who helped as get here.

Thank you.

Reflections on 114th National Day Address by His Majesty the King -Dec 17 2021

Our King- the beacon of hope for the people of Bhutan

I would like to start by submitting my heartfelt thank you to His Majesty the King for being solicitous of the well-being and acknowledging the efforts of all Bhutanese like me studying hard abroad.

I would like to set the context of the 114th National Day Address by mentioning His Majesty's address on the 113th National Day to realize a dream of making Bhutan a developed/wealthy nation within our lifetime. The 114th National Day address is a continuation of this relentless and altruistic vision of His Majesty the King. Analyzing all 16 National Day Addresses, His Majesty the King has firmly established himself at people’s hearts as the symbol of unity and protector of people and most importantly the beacon of a brighter and wealthy nation for Bhutan. A hope that gives us all a purpose in our life. A hope of a wealthy nation not built around effortless Paksamjenshing or natural resources or lies and deceit. But a wealthy nation built on a true and sustainable wealth accumulated through hard work, knowledge, and skills of resilient and future-ready citizens. 

A TRUE Chakravartian King putting Good governance at the centre

Perhaps, listening to His Majesty’s speech today, any Buddhist philosophers can undoubtedly say that Bhutan stands forth the closest resemblance to Buddha’s concept of a republic governed at the centre by a powerful but compassionate people’s King- a Chakravarti King or King Mahasammata- Mangpö Kurwai Gyalpo, whose legitimacy was based on popular consent of ensuring good governance to the people. I see Chakravartian King when His Majesty uses the powerful narratives of i) allegorical nuances of a woman requiring money not only to finance her day-to-day activities but also to fulfil her family goals, and ii) making a Royal Command on the National Day by rearticulating people’s hopes and aspirations and conversations of every household at the dinner table. His Majesty the King is rightfully people’s King.

The way forward- Removing pervasive poignance and enhancing governance through “Nga” 

I am confident that the vernacular “Nga min du” repeated several times by His Majesty will have ubiquitous realization and influence for all Bhutanese people to walk away from the abyss and precipice of our ugly truth of misplaced compassion that hinders the vehement vision to become a wealthy/developed nation. His Majesty has consistently expressed pervasive poignance necessitating deep reflection of stagnancy, complacency, and inadequacy of the systems to move forward for progressive 21st century. On the 113th National day, the solution from the King was to bring reforms in the civil service and education. On 114th National day, the solution from our King is to revitalize the lost “Nga”.

For the RCSC- Revitalizing the lost “Nga” to ensure accountability 

The RCSC is empowered with a weapon to revitalize the lost “Nga” to fix accountability. Some immediate steps I recommend the RCSC to revitalize the lost "Nga" are: i) implement aggressive exit management strategies to get rid of the underperformers, nonperformers, and corrupt officials to rebrand the Civil Service away from mediocrity to Civil Service with “best and the brightest”; ii) handpick performers to the right positions even at the executive level if required iii) establish rigorous platforms to upgrade/upscale skilling programs to the entire civil servants like De-suung re-skilling programs. In particular, I see there are lurking maladies in a few people and chronic systems that His Majesty wants the rectify. 

The road ahead is intimidating for many. But our destination of a “wealthy nation within our lifetime” is not insurmountable and it provides enormous hope for a better future. Let us not waste our time. Let us gather our arms and ammunitions and rip-roar to move ahead to pursue this common destination of a “wealthy nation within our lifetime”. Thank you, His Majesty, for your enlightened leadership.

Understanding the new world of Central Bank Digital Currency

The Press Release by the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan (Central Bank) issued on 23rd September 2021 stated Bhutan will pilot a project on "central bank digital currency" (CBDC) in collaboration with Ripple Labs, Inc. of USA. However, the word CBDC is new and arcane to many. So this is an attempt to demystify CBDC... 

Circular by RMA                                                                                                                                                                

BTW this is my preliminary Draft

I will be attending my class on Crypto and CBDC on Nov 8 2021... so expect a new version after tha,,,

I have used very informal language as well...

So... ahmm .. enjoy...

I want to zoom down on what type of CBDC using the figures used by the BIS and make several inferences

BIS- Bank of International Settlements states there are thee architecture of CBDC

So indirect CBDC will imply similar to today's system of mBoB...etc. So rule out this for the pilot project the RMA is currently pursuing.
Direct CBDC would require massive technological capabilities...Because RMA will handle the entire payment system by itself- handling all the transactions. So a project that Bhutan is implementing could be Hybrid architecture.

Now How will CBDC infrastructure look like: will it be conventional (centralized) or decentralize using Digital Ledger Technology (it is a kind of blockchain but - let's say blockchain in a controlled environment for now). Refer to the BIS figure below and watch out for the four possible outcomes on the right which can be further grouped into two: accounts and token-based. 
the Centralised CBDC accounts and the token system might have higher transaction costs as its more centralize and conventional approach. The Project Bhutan is exploring should be either a DLT account or token-based. Further strengthening earlier inference of CBDC architecture of Indirect/ Hybrid CBDC.

How do you safeguard Your privacy while using CBDC?

Ok so remember the previous graph at the accounts vs token ... Account-based is more like a conventional based system. This system can pose a challenge for CBDC to operate as it implies mapping each individual to one and only one identifier across the entire payment system. it can impair universal access.

On the other hand, a token-based system can ensure universal access as anybody can obtain a digital signature- offer good safeguard by default. The problem is if you lose the secret key then it will be difficult to trace the... u know what I mean.

Are you still confused between an account and a token-based system? Then account-based means you have a username and password. In a token-based system, your password is valid for a certain period of time like google authenticator, Duo mobile, etc.

Therefore I imply its a digital token-based safeguard system

Preliminary conclusions: RMA will be moving towards hybrid/indirect CBDC architecture with DLT token-based infrastructure

extra info

Some CBDC projects studied by BIS

Resume Writing: A good one

 Resume Writing: These materials are shared to me by Boston University.

https://mymedia.bu.edu/media/3.+MBA+Resume+Webinar/1_3vc7mnlc

Also watch https://mymedia.bu.edu/media/4.+Resume+BAR+Statements/1_h8frd5pl

to learn how to write a powerful accomplishment statements on your resume that communicate the value you delivered in your past roles

Sun Tzu’s Art of War and its influence at Desuung Training (my experience in 30th batch desuup training at Tencholing)

Sun Tzu’s Art of War and its influence at Desuung Training

After five weeks of arduous Desuug training at the Military Training Centre-Tencholing, Wangdiphodrang, I finally succumbed to my bed to balance out five weeks of my deprived sleep. Yet the very next day, I woke up at 4:00 am in the morning, haunted in my dreams by the “fall in” whistle, I was still feeling beyond exhausted yet was unable to sleep. Left alone in my quiet room, I recapitulated the plight of desuung training and started to demystify how our Training Officers and Instructors resocialized us into the military system and made us obey all orders without hesitation and finally made us a well-trained and disciplined DESUUP.

It was on 19^th May 2018, when I first joined the Dessung Training with high spirit of volunteerism and excitement along with 124 other volunteers, little did I know that the Trainee Officers and Instructors have all mastered Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese General in the period when local warlords constantly waged war against each other in 400 BC. King Helu (King of the state of Wu) agonized over a growing threat of invasion by his neighboring Kingdoms, summoned Sun Tzu to train a smaller Wu army and defeat the larger invading forces. At first, King Helu challenges Sun Tzu to apply his famous war doctrine to train 180 soft spoken and spoiled palace concubines into an orderly company. Sun Tzu accepted the King’s challenge. He divided the women into two groups and appointed two concubines as platoon leader to ensure discipline in their own groups. Sun Tzu then showed the women the important maneuvers and made sure they understood what to do. However, when he started ordering them to perform the drill, the women burst out in laughter. He ordered again and they still giggled. To this, he claimed that this failure of the troops to obey was the fault of the commanders. So, he beheaded the two leaders as an example for the rest of the company. Thereafter, the women did not utter a single sound and performed the drill exactly as commanded. While these women never saw battle, but Sun Tzu has proved his point. King Halu appoints Sun Tzu as Commander of the Wu army. Sun Tzu trains army of 30,000 to fight army 10 times larger. The strategies and tactics he used in winning a war not only become the foundation of his masterwork but also has shaped the way how many wars have been won and lost with numerous military tactics. Today, it has equally resounding effects on politics, sports, business, leading teams, and in our everyday life.

In the similar manner, on the first day of the training, all 125 new desuups were divided into four platoons. The Training Instructors taught us simple commands like “KaayJur” and “DraamTaen” and to always fall in three rows of the designated group. With diverse background of desuup trainees, disharmony in the execution of these commands was a natural thing. We even giggled and laughed at each other like Wu’s concubines as some executed the wrong commands despite clear instructions. The very next day, one dessung commander, four platoon commanders, and 12 section commanders were appointed and allocated responsibilities in making sure that discipline is observed within their units and platoons. But when the Training Instructor blew his whistle and simple orders of maneuvers to “fall in” and others were passed, there were vast majority of disciplinary problems within the control of the Training Instructors again. For instance, some arrived late, many still laughed and giggled at each other when commands were executed, some could not keep their hands and legs still, some mumbled, and so on.  There was only one way the Training Instructor could convince all desuups that the disciplinary problems in military training are symptoms of underlying weakness of total learning situation. Like Sun Tzu, the Training Instructor said “if the instructions are not explicit, it is the fault of the Instructor that the desuups do not obey. But if the orders are clear and my orders have been clear, it is the fault of the subordinate officers that orders are not obeyed…”. For the first time the Training Instructor commences the military punishments. But instead of beheading the platoon commanders like Sun Tzu and punishing the desuups who violated the commands and disciplinary conducts, the desuung commander and platoon commanders were publicly embarrassed and given harsh punishments while their failure to discipline their platoons were read in front of entire 125 desuups. Completely humiliated and annoyed desuung commander and platoon commanders in turn now becomes deadly serious. The Desuung Commander demands Platoon Commanders for complete discipline.  The Platoon Commander in turn orders his Section Commanders and ensures discipline in their own platoon. From there on, the entire desuups followed orders without hesitation and performed the drills exactly as commanded. Like Sun Tzu, the Training Instructors has convinced us that discipline is key principle of teaching in Military Training Center. Once understood everyone from the leader down to an individual desuup will be motivated to learn. And the big take away from this incident was that even a relatively small number of desuups with discipline can effectively undertake rescue operation, respond to fires and disasters, manage crowd control, and support the army, if required.

However, this method of disciplining was more coercive and controlling from outside. Therefore, revolt, disorder, and chaos could have been an inevitable thing, if it continued for the entire five weeks. This formidable task to maintain discipline in a large group of 125 desuups was worsen by diverse background of desuups comprising of old and young, female and male, weak and strong, unemployed to Chief Level Officers, acquiescent and recalcitrant, taciturn and loquacious individuals from all 20 dzongkhags. But, what made us resocialize into military system and obey orders from within? How did they mentally and emotionally transform us from a generally lackadaisical and uncooperative civilian to a well-disciplined individual? How did we submerge our individuality and ego to form a cohesive team? How did we agree to confinement and suppression (denying privacy, right to leave the military campus, etc), control and conformity (polish boots, make our beds, stack clothes, etc), and stress and punishments (deprive of sleep, food, shelter, shout personal insults and orders to humiliate, etc)? Overall, how did they successfully establish and maintain a desirable learning atmosphere, amongst the diverse group of 125 people?

Perhaps one thing that stand out the most was the application of key principles of Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

Sun Tzu said that

“the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting”.

Fighting causes lives and money. Sun Tzu praises the generals who can outwit instead of outfight his opponent. He downplays the direct attack and puts the emphasis on maneuver, surprise and deception. Throughout history armies fight head to head in the battle field to show their strength and courage. But Sun Tzu doesn’t care of the glory. He only wanted to win.

Like Sun Tzu, the Military Training Center was successful in winning a war without fighting. They successfully subdued and disciplined 125 of us and without using much coercive force. Enemy here refers not to the enemy but the group of 125 civilians, of which some were recalcitrant and uncooperative and some were lackadaisical by nature. If Sun Tzu was still alive, he would have definitely praised our fair, firm and friendly Training Adjutant for outwitting 125 desuups for five weeks. He was later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel towards the final week of our training by His Majesty the King.

The Training Adjutant, led the entire group with not just our bodies, but also our minds, hearts and spirits. He never destroyed our bodies, minds, hearts and spirits. While he ensured every one of us to complete the entire physical training exercise, drills and others, at the same time he ensured that some were not over-worked in this process. On the contrary to our common belief of punishing those who could not make it, he advocated Sun Tzu’s principle of subduing the enemy without fighting by adopting the concept of libertarian paternalism. Liberalizing the trainees to withdraw from physical and practical trainings and other desuung programs based on their will but at the same time restricting the choice to relax, forcing them to complete a lesser training course, equally making them to watch their colleagues under the sun, and nudging them to recover soon.

Other techniques implemented in desuung training that relates to Sun Tzu’s principles are:

Sun Tzu said “put the army in the face of death where there is no escape and they will not flee or be afraid-there is nothing they cannot achieve”.

In the similar way, we were placed in a deep forest to “run back” to the nearest road point of distance more than five kilometers, with no possibilities of retreat.

Sun Tzu said “When the enemy is relaxed, make them toil. When full, starve them. When settle, make them move”.

No sooner we settle to relax after the orders to relax were passed subsequently after a tiring exercise, we were asked to “fall in” into groups for another exercise. If we eat heavy lunch, then heavy exercise followed immediately. Many a times this was frustrating. But as I look back, I realize the importance of frustrating our enemies with such techniques to ambush when they finally move.

            Sun Tzu used “divide and conquer… when the enemy is double the strength”

Social loafing was a common phenomenon at desuung training. Some of us exerted less effort to achieve a goal when we work in a group, particularly when were asked to clap, sing loudly -Zhabten and Desuung honour code, execute drills, and perform return show. In order to maximize equal effort and participation, the Training Adjutant and Training Instructors used Sun Tzu’s principle of divide and rule to achieve the desired outcomes. In particular, those who were shy and reluctant to perform on stage, also appeared on the stage with at least one cultural program in the end.

Sun Tzu said “to rely on rustics and not prepare is the greatest of crimes. To be prepared beforehand for any contingency is the greatest of virtues”

At Military Training Centre every program has a contingency plan. The contingency plans are well planned not only for passing out parade (back-up plan if it rains), but also for all other classes and events.

Towards the end of the five weeks of intensive desuung training, on 23^rd of June 2018, as all of us proudly marched on the famous Tencholing “oil coal tar” ground to perform the passing out parade. Our voice roared into the air, boots crashed the ground, hands banged the rifle butts, and everyone moved as one with the call of the parade commander and line marker. More particularly, when the national flag was unfurled by the flag hoister and we all sang the national anthem, as loud as we can along with the military music band, we all felt tears of joy with greatest sense of unprecedented accomplishment that “yes we all did it”. This was all possible because of the commendable techniques of our Training Adjutant and the influence of Sun Tzu’s Art of War at the Military Training Center. For now, although, I selfishly get temptations to demystify and publish all techniques at the Military Training Center by relating it to Sun Tzu’s principles (specially preparation, deception and indirect attacks to win war), on second thought as rightly said by a wise man “some things are best kept secret”. Desuung training must go on and it does not end with my 30^th batch.

Lastly, I reverently submit my heartfelt gratefulness to our Supreme Commander His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo for his farsighted vision to institute Desuung and to the Military Training Center and Desuung Office for making us well-trained and disciplined Desuup. I humbly pledge you all to be a guardian of peace and vow to abide by the desuung honour code to eternity.

Gross National Happiness: Bhutan’s Experience To Go Beyond GDP

In 1974, His Majesty the King Jigme Singye Wangchuck introduced a unique development philosophy called Gross National Happiness (GNH) in a small Himalayan Kingdom called Bhutan. GNH is a development approach that goes beyond GDP and seeks to achieve a harmonious balance between the material and non-material development (spiritual, emotional and cultural needs of society). This approach puts people at the center of the development philosophy and beliefs that the state’s primary objective is to ensure well-being and happiness of all its citizens.

Internationally, the effort to go beyond the GDP and make happiness and wellbeing as the key indicators of growth can be seen in some countries and international organizations such as, Happy Planet Index of New Economics Foundation first introduced the 2006, Thailand’s Green and Happiness Index released in 2007, Sarkozy-Stiglitz Commission commissioned in France in 2008, David Cameron’s happiness index of United Kingdom in 2010, Brazil’s embracement of GNH or “Felicidade Interna Bruta” to develop government policies, Canadian Index of Wellbeing released by Canada in 2011, and Happiness index launched by South Korea in 2012. Furthermore, in 2011, UN General Assembly adopted the agenda proposed by Bhutan to make happiness a “development indicator”

Today, Bhutan has over five decades of experience of adopting GNH as the economic development philosophy. Instead of measuring development on the basis of economic growth alone, GNH broadens the concept of development. GNH is mainstreamed in developing all five-year plans and national policies through four pillars, nine domains, GNH index, and GNH policy screening tools. The four pillars are: i) good governance; ii) sustainable socio-economic development; iii) preservation and promotion of culture; and iv) environment conservation. The Nine domains includes the conventional economic domains of measuring economic growth such as -living standards, education, health, and good governance- and also includes the non-conventional domains such as environment, community vitality, time-use, psycholigoical well-being, and cultural resilience.  Bhutan undertakes a nation wide GNH survey, after every two years, to come up with GNH index to measure well being of the people and the insufficiencies among those not identified as happy. This survey uses nine domains, 72 indicators and 151 variables to measure happiness to come up with GNH index that provides indicators to government to help guide development, allocate resources, and design necessary policy interventions and action plans. Furthermore, Bhutan uses the GNH policy-screening tool (which is, within the scope of nine domains of GNH) to assess/review all national policies.  This screening tool has rejected some national policies, because the proposed policies could not meet the minimum required threshold. In particular, the proposal for Bhutan accession to WTO and the draft mineral policy was rejected. It was viewed that these proposals will heighten inequality and corruption, deteriorate the environment, and decrease psychological wellbeing.

The current pattern of world’s consumption and production is unsustainable and is rapidly depleting our planet’s natural resources, and therefore many economists scramble to offer explanations and solutions. The conventional/mainstream economics has resulted in mad pursuit of economic growth without taking into account its natural and social costs has resulted into serious of conflicts such as ecological crisis (pollution of earth, air and water that threatens all our lives today), social conflicts, economic wars, above all crises of our ethics and values. These shortcomings provoke an impetus for the world to come up with an alternative/new way of economic thinking. Bhutan has responsibly accepted capitalism and adopted sustainable economic production through GNH development model. In the world’s quest to measure economic growth beyond GDP, GNH can serve as framework to embrace true development that is in harmony with the needs of people and rhythms of the natural world.