Embassy of IndiaThimphu, Bhutan

Press Release

ITEC Day 2019 was celebrated at India House on September 20, 2019.

On 20 September 2019, Embassy of India organised a special event to commemorate the ‘Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation’ (ITEC) programme.

Since its launch in 1964, ITEC has been the flagship programme of Government of India to share its own development experience with fellow developing countries, through the provision of short term training modules in India, and by deputing Indian experts to partner Governments. The training courses covered under ITEC span various sectors and subjects, from technical disciplines like IT and Petroleum Sciences, to more general disciplines like English/language skills and Yoga.

As India’s close friend, partner and neighbour, Bhutan has been a major beneficiary of the ITEC training courses over the years. On average, about 300 Bhutanese civil servants, representatives of civil society organisations, and private sector professionals avail of training in India under ITEC every year.

Just like in previous years, the ‘ITEC Day’ celebration this year brought together many such Bhutanese beneficiaries of training courses in India under ITEC. Nearly 150 such ITEC alumni attended the event at the Embassy.

Dasho Karma Hamu Dorji, Chairperson of the Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan was the Chief Guest at the occasion, and expressed her appreciation for the significant role that ITEC has played over the years in building capacity and expertise within Bhutan’s Civil Services as well as in many non-Governmental sectors.

Speaking at the occasion, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj explained that apart from the standardised training courses offered under the ITEC programme, the Indian Embassy is working on designing customised training courses under ITEC, which would address the specific training needs and requirements of Bhutan, so as to make ITEC more relevant and useful in the fast-changing techno-economic realities that face Bhutanese youth.

The ITEC Day event also saw the participation of some representatives of the 10-member group of Bhutanese students who recently visited India on the invitation of the Embassy. Two of the students recounted their experiences in India, pointing out the insights they had gathered from visiting various educational institutions in India, technology-focused institutions like the Atal Tinkering Lab in Delhi, manufacturing facilities of some major Indian companies, wildlife parks, and Buddhist heritage sites in Gaya, Bodh Gaya, and Rajgir. They spoke with special warmth about the opportunity they had to be present in Bangalore, along with the Indian Prime Minister and other Indian students, to witness India’s historic attempt to land the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft on the moon.

Thimphu, 20 September, 2019