Consider the following statements 1. Bhutan is going to hold its first ever parliamentary elections in the year 2010. 2. Bhutan has banned anyone without a university degree from contesting elections. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct ?

Statement 1 is incorrect because Bhutan held its first-ever parliamentary elections in 2008, not 2010. The transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy was marked by elections for the National Council (upper house) in late 2007 and early 2008, followed by the National Assembly (lower house) elections on March 24, 2008 [c5, t1, t8]. Statement 2 is correct as Bhutanese law mandates specific academic qualifications for candidates. According to the Election Act of the Kingdom of Bhutan 2008 and subsequent guidelines, any person contesting elections for the National Assembly or National Council must possess a 'Formal University Degree', defined as a degree not lower than a Bachelor's degree from a recognized institution [t6, t7]. This unique requirement was established to ensure a high standard of legislative capability during the country's democratic transition [t3, t10].

Sources

1. [1] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia > Contemporary South Asia 31 > p. 31
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanese_democracy