Prime Minister Narendra Modi Honored with Bhutan's Highest Civilian Award, 'Order of the Druk Gyalpo

Defense News ,India :-  Prime Minister Narendra Modi was bestowed with Bhutan’s highest civilian accolade, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo,’ marking a historic moment as the first foreign Head of Government to receive such an honor. The recognition comes in acknowledgment of his remarkable contributions to fostering the growth of India-Bhutan relations and his dedicated service to the Bhutanese nation and its people.

Expressing his gratitude, PM Modi took to X platform shortly after receiving the prestigious award, stating, “Honoured to be conferred with ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ Award by Bhutan. I dedicate it to 140 crore Indians.”

The honor was bestowed upon Prime Minister Modi by Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck during a ceremony. The announcement was made during the 114th National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021, with the formal presentation occurring during Prime Minister Modi’s recent two-day State visit, marking his third visit to Bhutan since assuming office in 2014.

According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in 2021, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ is revered as the highest lifetime achievement decoration in Bhutan’s honor system, holding precedence over all other orders, decorations, and medals.

This recognition adds to a series of prestigious awards conferred upon PM Modi, including the ‘Legion of Merit by the US Government’ in 2020 and Russia's highest civilian honor, the ‘Order of St. Andrew’ in 2019.

During his visit, PM Modi expressed his gratitude towards the people of Bhutan for their warm welcome and expressed optimism for the continued growth of the India-Bhutan friendship, aiming to strengthen ties in line with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy.