Looking back at 2010(Iron male Tiger year).

Year 2010: The Iron Male Tiger year according to the lunar calendar  was eventful in many ways. In 2010, Bhutan achieved progress and witnessed many significant achievements. However, 2010, amid happy stories, the nation was benumbed by several natural disasters and accidents.

The year saw many accidents caused by natural elements. True to the predictions of Lopen Singye Dorji, an astrologer at Pangrizampa School of Astrology in Thimphu, fire caused major damages in the country.

A fire on October 26 razed the Chamkhar town in Bumthang to the ground and claimed two lives. A school hostel of Mendrelgang Middle Secondary School in Tsirang was burnt down on June 29. Forest fires across the country destroyed thousands of acres of blue pine forests. Two women volunteers fighting a forest fire on April 10 in Kabji Patheri in Punakha were burnt to death.

On March 9, a forest fire in Trashigang burnt down an automobile workshop, three cars and 25 two-wheelers. On March 21, a two-storied house was reduced to ashes in Tsirang and on November 16, a hut in Paro was razed to the ground by fire.

In August, heavy rainfall caused havoc in Phuentsholing and Sarpang washing away roads and triggering landslides and flash floods. Five families lost their homes in Phuentsholing due to heavy rainfall on August 28.

Outbreak of typhoid, flu, tuberculoses and conjunctivitis were reported in different places.

Lopen Singye Dorji had also predicted that a large number of children would become orphans either by losing their parents to death or divorce. The courts saw a huge number of matrimonial cases in the year of the Tiger. There were 7, 771 reported cases of divorce.

The Tiger year saw more than 1,260 vehicle accidents. For the first time in the history of the country, a plane crash in Nepal on December 15 killed18 Bhutanese pilgrims. Nine people died in a bus accident at Lamperi on the Thimphu-Wangdue highway on December 22.

Lopen Singye’s prediction that animals like yaks would be harmed also came true. Fourteen yak calves were burnt to death in an accident on January 25, 2011, in Bumthang.

Lopen Singye had said that law enforcement departments might become slightly busier. True to the prediction, the Tobacco Bill was endorsed, unregistered drugs flushed out, and bars and clubs were ordered to close earlier. The national judicial commission was formed in consonance with Article 21 of the constitution on March 15.

The Tiger year also saw Bhutan hosting a major event. Bhutan successfully hosted the 16th Saarc summit on the theme ‘Towards a green and happy south Asia’ on April 28 and 29.

Some major policy documents like the economic development policy and the FDI policy were released in May.

Famous writers like Chetan Bhagat, Gulzar, Pratrick French, and John Elliot attended a three-day literary festival, Mountain Echoes, focusing on writing from and about Himalayan regions, in Bhutan in May.

The fifth session of the parliament, which started on May 28 and concluded on July 14, endorsed important bills like the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan Bill, Service Conditions Bill for the Holders of Constitutional Offices of Bhutan, Bhutan Standards Bill and Bhutan Civil Service Bill.

Youth Development Fund on August 8 started the country’s first rehabilitation centre for women, Nazhoen Pelri Treatment and Rehabil¬itation Centre for Drugs and Alcohol Dependents.

On August 25, the Opposition Leader filed Bhutan’s first constitutional case against the government over the government’s taxation policy.

The Royal Bhutan Police did a commendable job. With their initiative, MB Boys and Sabji Bazaar Gang, the two prominent gangs in Thimphu, were disbanded on August 26.

Bhutan achieved impressive progress in communications. Mobile network reached rural communities like Laya and Lingzhi on September 14. The off-hour clinic, also known as special consultation service, kicked off on October 14.

The Nu 47 billion education city project was launched at PanIT conference in Delhi on October 31.

His Majesty the King granted a salary raise to the armed forces in November. And in December, the government approved a 20 percent pay raise for civil servants.

On December 14, Tashi Air and Drukair were selected to operate domestic air service in Bhutan.

On December 17, His Majesty the King awarded national medals to 27 individuals.

The revised Bhutan Civil Service Rules was launched on the same day.

Samdrupjongkhar Initiative, a civil society project, which will determine how the southeastern dzongkhag can become a model of GNH in action, was launched at the Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s Chokyi Gyatso institute on December 18.

On December 28, the cabinet approved Bhutan’s membership to the 183-member International Labour Organisation.