Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored on Friday with Bhutan’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo,’ marking the first time a foreign Head of Government has received such recognition. This esteemed award was bestowed upon Prime Minister Modi in acknowledgment of his exceptional contributions to the advancement of India-Bhutan relations and his dedicated service to the people of Bhutan.
Expressing his gratitude, PM Modi shared on social media platform X, “Honoured to be conferred with ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ Award by Bhutan. I dedicate it to 140 crore Indians.”
The ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ was presented to Prime Minister Modi by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. The announcement of this honor was made by the Bhutanese monarch during the 114th National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021. During his two-day State visit, Prime Minister Modi received the award, marking his third visit to Bhutan since assuming office in 2014.
The Indian Embassy, in a statement made in 2021, highlighted the significance of this award, stating that it symbolizes a lifetime achievement and stands as the apex of Bhutan’s honor system, superseding all other orders, decorations, and medals.
Additionally, in previous years, PM Modi was honored with the ‘Legion of Merit by the US Government‘ award in 2020 and the ‘Order of St. Andrew‘ award by Russia, its highest civilian honor, in 2019.
During his visit to the Himalayan nation, PM Modi expressed his gratitude to the Bhutanese people for the warm welcome extended to him, emphasizing his hope for the continued growth and deepening of friendship between India and Bhutan.
Vrutta Online 