The Assam Cabinet on Thursday approved the reservation of seats for Bhutanese nationals for the MBBS and BDS courses in the medical colleges of the state. The decision was taken during the weekly cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 1 November, in an effort to improve ties with the neighbouring country.
As per reports, a total of five seats will be reserved for Bhutanese nationals in medical and dental colleges in Assam. Among them, two MBBS seats will be reserved in Nalbari Medical College and one will be in Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital in Barpeta. The rest two will be reserved in BDS colleges.
Earlier on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the Bhutan Ambassador to India, Major General Vetsop Namgyel.
It is notable that the King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will visit Assam on 3rd November. Talking about the visit, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma tweeted, “Bharat and Bhutan share a unique relationship which has strengthened with the passage of time. For centuries, knowledge and education have been central to this special bond. Tomorrow, we in Assam, eagerly look forward to welcome His Majesty, the King of Bhutan on his first official visit to our State. This visit will further deepen the friendship between the two countries.”
Bharat and Bhutan share a unique relationship which has strengthened with the passage of time. For centuries, knowledge and education have been central to this special bond.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) November 2, 2023
Tomorrow, we in Assam, eagerly look forward to welcome His Majesty, the King of Bhutan on his first… https://t.co/wA3QCySvcf
The King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by senior officials of the Royal Government of Bhutan, will arrive in India on an official 8-day visit from November 3-10. Queen Jetsun Pema and their two sons will be accompanying the king during the visit.
The Bhutan king will be in Assam from 3rd to 5th November, before moving to Delhi. During his trip, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is scheduled to visit the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati on November 3. After that, he will attend a cultural programme organised by the Assam government and a dinner hosted by Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. The Bhutan king will visit the renowned Kaziranga National Park on November 4. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will host a dinner for the Bhutanese king in Kaziranga in the evening.
According to an official release from the Ministry of External Affairs, “The King of Bhutan will meet the Prime Minister of India during the visit. The External Affairs Minister and senior officials of the Government of India will call on His Majesty the King of Bhutan. His Majesty the King of Bhutan will also visit the states of Assam and Maharashtra.”
“India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship and cooperation, which are characterized by understanding and mutual trust. The visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and to further advance the exemplary bilateral partnership, across diverse sectors” the statement read.
