Centre for Policy Research

Centre for Policy Research
Name	Centre for Policy Research
Formation	1973
Type	think tank
Headquarters	New Delhi
Leader title	Director
Leader name	???

Centre for Policy Research is an independent public policy think tank based in New Delhi. Founded in 1973, it engages in policy analysis, research, and public discourse, interacting with institutions such as Parliament of India, Reserve Bank of India, United Nations, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank. The centre convenes scholars linked to Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, London School of Economics, and Columbia University.

History

The institute was established in the early post‑Nehru period alongside contemporaries like Institute of Development Studies, Brookings Institution, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Royal Institute of International Affairs, and Council on Foreign Relations. Early associations included scholars from Delhi School of Economics, Indian Statistical Institute, Banaras Hindu University, University of Cambridge, and contacts with policymakers in the Ministry of External Affairs and the Planning Commission of India. Over decades the centre hosted visiting fellows from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Princeton University, Yale University, and University of Chicago, contributing to debates on treaties such as the Indo‑Soviet Treaty of Peace, Friendship and Cooperation and regional forums including the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Mission and Research Areas

The organisation frames its mission through comparative study of public policy issues relevant to contemporary India and South Asia, drawing on perspectives from United Nations Development Programme, World Health Organization, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development, and European Union. Major research areas intersect with studies on Indo‑Pacific geopolitics, Kashmir conflict, India–Pakistan relations, urbanisation studies referencing Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru, and environmental work engaging themes from Paris Agreement, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Ramsar Convention, and Convention on Biological Diversity. Projects address legal and institutional reform linked to cases before the Supreme Court of India, fiscal policy examined alongside the Goods and Services Tax, and infrastructure planning resonant with policies of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ministry of Finance.

Organisation and Governance

The centre's governance features a board comparable to trustees at Tata Institute of Social Sciences and oversight bodies found at Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and Observer Research Foundation. Leadership roles interact with academic appointment procedures similar to University Grants Commission norms and grant reporting compatible with funders such as Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation. Staffing includes research faculty with prior affiliations to Delhi University, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Business Standard editorial contributors, and visiting practitioners drawn from Supreme Court of India clerks, former officials of Ministry of External Affairs, diplomats from Embassy of the United States, New Delhi, and experts from Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Notable Projects and Publications

The centre has produced monographs and policy briefs analogous to publications from Chatham House, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, and Carnegie India. Notable outputs have engaged with frameworks like the National Solar Mission, assessments referencing the Lahore Declaration, and urban studies paralleling analyses of Delhi Metro expansion and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. Its scholars have contributed chapters to edited volumes alongside authors from Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge, and journals such as Economic and Political Weekly, International Affairs, World Development, and Journal of Asian Studies. Projects have included collaborations with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, evaluations for UNICEF, and policy designs discussed at Rashtrapati Bhavan and at international fora like World Economic Forum.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have mirrored those of global think tanks, including philanthropic entities such as the Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, multilateral agencies like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and bilateral partners similar to United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office and United States Agency for International Development. Partnerships have been formed with academic institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of Cambridge, research networks like Global Development Network, and policy platforms such as Open Government Partnership. Contract research and commissioned studies have sometimes involved state bodies including Ministry of Finance and provincial administrations in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Criticism and Controversies

The centre has faced public scrutiny in debates comparable to controversies surrounding Princeton University and Harvard University centers, including questions about foreign funding and affiliations akin to disputes involving NGO Coordination Bureau or investigations similar to inquiries into think tank governance by parliamentary committees. Critics have raised concerns about funding transparency resonant with discussions around the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, perceived policy bias mirrored in controversies at Observer Research Foundation, and episodic debate over intellectual independence akin to critiques of some university‑linked research centres. Legal and media disputes have referenced interactions with entities such as Central Bureau of Investigation and reportage in outlets like The Hindu, Times of India, and Indian Express.

Category:Think tanks in India