{"id":287153,"date":"2024-03-15T19:49:11","date_gmt":"2024-03-15T14:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/?p=287153"},"modified":"2024-03-15T19:49:11","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T14:19:11","slug":"gelephu-mindfulness-city-project-bhutans-opening-move-its-gelephu-gambit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/gelephu-mindfulness-city-project-bhutans-opening-move-its-gelephu-gambit\/","title":{"rendered":"Gelephu Mindfulness City project: Bhutan\u2019s opening move, its Gelephu gambit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Source<\/strong>: The post Gelephu Mindfulness City project has been created, based on the article \u201c<strong>Bhutan\u2019s opening move, its Gelephu gambit<\/strong>\u201dpublished in \u201c <strong>The Hindu<\/strong>\u201d on 15th March 2024.<\/p>\n<p><strong>UPSC Syllabus Topic:<\/strong> GS Paper 2-International relations-India and its neighbourhood- relations.<\/p>\n<p><strong>News<\/strong>: The article discusses Bhutan&#8217;s plan to build a carbon-neutral city called Gelephu Mindfulness City, which faces challenges like geography and funding. It&#8217;s important for Bhutan&#8217;s economy and India&#8217;s regional influence, but requires big investments and cooperation from India.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is the Gelephu Mindfulness City project?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Nature of the Project:<\/strong> Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) is a planned carbon-neutral city in Bhutan, spanning 1,000 square kilometers.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Focus Areas:<\/strong> It will concentrate on eco-friendly industries such as IT, education, hotels, and hospitals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Economic Necessity:<\/strong> Bhutan aims to diversify its economy beyond hydropower and tourism, addressing challenges like youth outmigration.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What are the challenges faced by the Gelephu Mindfulness City project?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Geographical Challenges:<\/strong> Gelephu&#8217;s location on a broad plain in a mountainous area leads to high rainfall and flooding during monsoons.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Environmental Concerns<\/strong>: The city is situated near wildlife corridors, which requires careful planning to prevent disturbing natural habitats.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Regional Security: <\/strong>Past insurgencies in nearby Assam and Myanmar, and a history of militant activities in the area, highlight security challenges.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Infrastructure Dependencies:<\/strong> As a landlocked area, Gelephu is dependent on neighboring countries, mainly India, for essential infrastructure like trade and transport.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Economic Constraints: <\/strong>The project requires significant investment for infrastructure development, including upgrading the local airport to international standards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Political Dynamics: <\/strong>The initiative is influenced by Bhutan&#8217;s economic needs and geopolitical factors, including relationships with India and China.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What are the implications of the Gelephu Mindfulness City project?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Implications for India:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Strategic Influence:<\/strong> India&#8217;s involvement in the Gelephu project strengthens its influence in South Asia, countering China&#8217;s growing presence.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Economic Benefits<\/strong>: The project dovetails with India&#8217;s regional connectivity plans, enhancing trade routes and infrastructure development.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Investment Opportunities:<\/strong> India&#8217;s role in financing and expertise, particularly in airport expansion, opens avenues for further investments in Bhutan.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Global Implications:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Environmental Model:<\/strong> The carbon-neutral aspect of Gelephu Mindfulness City sets a precedent for sustainable urban development globally.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Geopolitical Balance:<\/strong> The project offers Bhutan a platform for international engagement, potentially balancing relations with India and China.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Regional Connectivity:<\/strong> The city&#8217;s location is strategic for India\u2019s \u201cAct East\u201d policy, improving connectivity to Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Question for practice:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Discuss the significance, challenges, and implications of Bhutan&#8217;s Gelephu Mindfulness City project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Source: The post Gelephu Mindfulness City project has been created, based on the article \u201cBhutan\u2019s opening move, its Gelephu gambit\u201dpublished in \u201c The Hindu\u201d on 15th March 2024. UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2-International relations-India and its neighbourhood- relations. News: The article discusses Bhutan&#8217;s plan to build a carbon-neutral city called Gelephu Mindfulness City, which&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/gelephu-mindfulness-city-project-bhutans-opening-move-its-gelephu-gambit\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Gelephu Mindfulness City project: Bhutan\u2019s opening move, its Gelephu gambit<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10320,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1230,9],"tags":[212,239,10498],"class_list":["post-287153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-9-pm-daily-articles","category-public","tag-gs-paper-2","tag-international-relations","tag-the-hindu","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","views":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10320"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287153"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287153\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}