Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday received Bhutan’s highest civilian award, the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’, during his two-day State visit to the neighbouring nation. He is the first foreign Head of the Government to receive the honour. Bhutan's king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck presented Modi with the honour, which was announced during the 114th National Day celebrations on December 17, 2021. What is the ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ award? 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.” The award has been conferred to Prime Minister Modi in recognition of “his outstanding contribution to the growth of India-Bhutan relations and for his distinguished service to the Bhutanese nation and people,” the statement said. Others to receive this award include Her Majesty The Royal Queen Grandmother Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck in 2008; His Holiness Je Thrizur Tenzin Dendup in 2008; and His Holiness Je Khenpo Trulku Ngawang Jigme Choedra in 2018. “Honoured to be conferred with ‘Order of the Druk Gyalpo’ Award by Bhutan. I dedicate it to 140 crore Indians,” Modi said in a post on X. This is PM Modi's third visit to Bhutan since he took over as the prime minister in 2014, with the first two visits in 2014 and 2019.
