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National Service – Above Oneself

The news of His Majesty giving a Royal Audience to over 500 teachers who are currently in the evaluation camp at Samtse College of Education spread like a wildfire. It didn't even take a minute to reach the farthest corner of the SCE campus. Some call it a rare chance, I call it a golden opportunity in a lifetime. Everyone in the camp was overjoyed with excitement and happiness. It even relieved my long-sinking back pain yet giving another chance to meet His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo. 

As usual, and as lively as always, HM greeted the gathering with a very humbling word "labay chu" before a Royal Speech.

His Majesty shared the vision, objectives, way forward and challenges that lie ahead of us regarding the National Service Program that would commence from 2022. National Service will be for all class twelve pass out students. It also includes all drop outs after class ten or before. However, those dropouts have to register through their respective Gewog centre once they attain 18 years of age. This NS is a compulsory program for all our youth thereafter.

The lucky first batch for this National Service are this year's all class ELEVEN students which also include unlucky dropouts. I am already overjoyed with Gyalsung program. Since, in my family my little sister (going to be eleven this year) will be serving as the first batch of this program. I am already proud of her service. I am sure she would be a goodwill ambassador not only my family members but also to the community far and wide. This National Service is a one year program that will be trained by fine professionals in five different regions; Samdrupjongkhar, Mongar, Sarpang, Sibsoo, and Wangduephodrang.

HM feel that teachers are the main goodwill ambassador to pass down the knowledge and information regarding this Royal Initiative in schools and hoping to make everything ready before 2022. It is believed that teachers are the main force, and model for whatever maybe the start, and particularly this Gyalsung program. I was touched when His Majesty said, "I have a full faith and trust in my teachers." However, HM overly stressed on this –"there is no room for complacency for a tiny nation like us, and going back to those olden days would be an absolutely foolish thing to call. Sooner than we think, technology will push everything back and the future will be great only if we become an organized society now."

Thank you, Your Majesty for having great faith in us. We promise to serve with full dedication and loyalty under your guidance and promised to walk a joyful path together all the time.

After listening to HM speech, I finally realized Freedom Fighter Nelson Mandela was never foolish to quote, "Education is the most powerful weapon which can change the world." 

Nothing should bar the way for our small society. The program will include three month of intensive military training in which our students will be learning so many disciplines like drilling and other necessary fundamentals. The crowd became profound silence when HM said, "everyone would sweat all together in the camp and learn what is necessary for them." His Majesty's also assured that the program would be lively and lifelong learning. The topics like food security, and cyber security will be challenging but a life long experience that will basically glorify them both physically and mentally. Furthermore, His Majesty also shared that, when our youth grow, they must grow to be a very mindful, most productive, and a responsible citizen. His Majesty also wants our youth to be as smart and astute as possible in a very short period of time with all the limited resources we have in our hands. NS also should produce our younger generation as "one united society" despite different religion and region. It is now or never. 

HM assured that the program would be as lively and interesting as possible.  

HM also briefly shared about what Bhutan and World around would look like within and –beyond 20 years from now, we may experience digital economy, digital bank, self driving car, no over-head power transmission line, free world wide internet service, meat grown up in the labs which would increase the life expectancy around 100 years. Someday, or very soon our hydro electric power may become obsolete over nuclear power which can be made easily available with less effort, resources, and investment. 

However, it was a nicest moment when His Majesty said he would be quickly returning back to Thimphu, via Sarpang to celebrate Gyalsey's 4th birthday. More pleasing was when His Majesty said, "he is very excited, but nervous come this March for the birth of Second Royal Child and would be taking up a fatherly responsibilities, sit nearby and accompany the Gyaltsuen to raise together His Royal Highness The Gyalsey, and Second Royal Child as best as possible."

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