Jigme Singye Wangchuck

Jigme Singye Wangchuck (འཇིགས་མེད་སེང་གེ་དབང་ཕྱུག་, ; born 11 November 1955) is a member of the House of Wangchuck who was the king of Bhutan (Druk Gyalpo) from 1972 until his abdication in 2006.

During his reign, he advocated the use of a Gross National Happiness index to measure the well-being of citizens rather than Gross domestic product.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck was born in Dechencholing Palace in Thimphu, Bhutan, on 11 November 1955.

to Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck.

The political officer of India stationed in Sikkim and the representative of the Sikkimese government came soon after to offer felicitations to the royal parents and to pay their respect to the newborn prince.

At the age of four, sometime in 1959, the young Crown Prince received the offerings of good wishes and respects by the public, monks, and officials for the first time in Tashichho Dzong.

Wangchuck received western and traditional learning in various institutions.

He began studying at Dechencholing Palace, when he was six years old, in 1961.

Soon afterwards, he went to study at St. Joseph's School, Darjeeling, in India.

In January 1965, he attended Summerfields School in St. Leonards, Sussex in England and then in 1966 Heatherdown School in Ascot where he completed his studies in 1969.

The next phase of his formal education took place at Namselling Palace in 1969.

Finally, he attended Ugyen Wangchuck Academy at Satsham Choten in Paro, which was established in 1970, along with a class of selected students from all over Bhutan.

During the 1970s, immediate aims for rural households unfolded in terms of intensive valley projects, cash crops cultivation, especially potatoes – irrigation, and resettlement.

Enhancing the income and livelihood of the rural people were the main focus of the 3rd and 4th FYPs.

In higher altitude areas a new initiative by Wangchuck in early 1970s consisted of diffusing potatoes as cash crops, first tested in royal pastureland of Longtoed and Longmed, which had been converted to potato farms.

In 1971 Wangchuck's father appointed Wangchuck as the Chairman of National Planning Commission, charged with the planning and co-ordination of the five year development plan.

The 3rd Five-Year Plan (FYP), which spanned the period 1971–77, was in progress when his father died.

Wangchuck was 16 at that time.

The following year, on 16 June 1972, he was made the Trongsa Penlop bestowing on him directly the saffron scarf or namza.

1972 to 1976 was the period of the 3rd FYP, and 1976 to 1981 was the period of 4th FYP.

As both King and the Chairman of the National Planning Commission, the clearing house for the programmes and projects, Wangchuck guided the planned activities first in broad terms and then increasingly in detail.

Soon after he acceded to the throne, Jigme Singye launched the Trashigang and Tsirang Intensive Valley Development Projects in 1972.

These projects were part of a larger vision of food self-sufficiency and income generation.

Encouraged by the achievements in the Trashigang and Tsirang Intensive Valley Projects, similar valley projects were replicated in Mongar and the newly created Shumar (Pemagatshel) districts.

These projects were also sites of experimental and participatory decision making.

It led to the formation of Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogchungs (DYTs), which brought the, gups and officials to prepare plans together.

In his Coronation Address on 2 June 1974, Jigme Singye stressed the need "to attain self-reliance and preserve Bhutan's sovereignty and independence."

He also stressed that any development undertaking should be a genuine collaboration between the people and the government.

For example, in 1977, the King encouraged the people of Dagana to start cardamom and orange plantations.

Previously, they had married privately in 1979.

By 1981, Trashigang and Tsirang had fully functional DYTs.

Data, which enables comparison of achievements over time starting from 1985 onwards, some 14 years after the king's ascension to the throne.

A Kasho (royal decree) issued by King Jigme Singye in 1986 directed the Planning Commission to ensure that "the basis for the evaluation of the achievements of the Sixth Plan is to see whether the people enjoy happiness and comfort".

The social and economic indicators point towards sub-ordinate goals, not ultimate goals which was to be measured from a holistic, GNH point of view.

Happiness and contentment became the ultimate yardstick of progress.

In a public ceremony, the Royal Wedding of Wangchuck was held in Dechog Lhakhang in Punakha Dzong on 31 October 1988, corresponding with the Descending Day of Buddha.

The four queens, Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, Tshering Pem Wangchuck, Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck and Sangay Choden Wangchuck are daughters of Dasho Yab Ugyen Dorji, the descendant of both the mind and speech incarnations of Ngawang Namgyal, and Yum Thuiji Zam.

Beginning with the large-scale production in Khaling and Chapcha, potatoes become a key export crop, reaching 60,000 tonnes, grown by over 10,725 households by 2006.

In southern Bhutan, the focus was on growing citrus fruits.

Both of these cash crops are now major sources of rural income as 3,400 tonnes of cardamom, 55,558 tonnes of oranges and 7,400 tonnes of apples were produced in 2006 due to the initiatives taken first in 1970s.