Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed with Bhutan’s highest civilian award on Friday, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo,’ making him the first foreign Head of the Government to receive this prestigious honour.
The award recognises Prime Minister Modi's remarkable contributions to the growth of India-Bhutan relations and his dedicated service to the Bhutanese nation and its people.
Expressing his gratitude, Modi dedicated the honour to the 140 crore Indians and shared his appreciation on X immediately after receiving the award from Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
The announcement of this prestigious honour was made by the King of Bhutan during the 114th National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021.
Prime Minister Modi received the award during his two-day State visit, marking his third visit to Bhutan since assuming office in 2014.
The 'Order of the Druk Gyalpo' holds significant importance in Bhutan's honour system, being the pinnacle of the decoration for lifetime achievement, surpassing all other orders, decorations, and medals.
This recognition adds to Prime Minister Modi's list of international accolades, including the 'Legion of Merit' by the US Government in 2020 and Russia's highest civilian honour, 'The Order of St. Andrew,' in 2019.
A statement from the Indian Embassy in 2021, when the announcement was made, said, “As per ranking and precedence established, the Order of the Druk Gyalpo was instituted as the decoration for lifetime achievement and is the pinnacle of the honour system in Bhutan, taking precedence over all orders, decorations and medals.”
Earlier in the day, hours after he arrived in the Himalayan nation, Modi said he was grateful to the Bhutanese people for according to him a “memorable welcome” to their beautiful country and hoped that India-Bhutan friendship “keeps scaling new heights.”
Modi's visit aims to strengthen India's long standing and special relationship with Bhutan under the country's 'Neighbourhood First' Policy, emphasising the enduring friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
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