Six Indian institutes among 150 top think-tanks

Six Indian research institutes are among top 150 global think-tanks in the annual list released by the University of Pennsylvania for the year 2012.

New York: Six Indian research institutes, including Centre for Civil Society (CCS), are among top 150 global think-tanks in the annual list released by the University of Pennsylvania for the year 2012.

Though no Indian think-tank figured in the top 50, New Delhi-based CCS was ranked 51st in the list. The list was topped by Brookings Institution (United States) followed by Chatham House (United Kingdom) and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States). Other Indian think-tanks featured in the list are: Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA) (105), Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) (109), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) (110), Observer Research Foundation (ORF) (115) and Development Alternatives (141). However, three Indian think-tanks were among the list top 100 institutes that excluded the United States. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology (ATREE) and Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) were among the top 20 environment think-tanks. The Energy and Resources Institute was also ranked 7th in the top 20 Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks. In the curtailed Asia (India, China, Japan, RoK) list, ORF placed at Number 10, IDSA (11), Centre for Policy Research (12), CCS (15), Delhi Policy Group (22), the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (24), TERI (25), the Centre for the Study of Science Technology and Policy (28), National Council for Applied Economic Research (29), Centre for Study of Developing Societies (33), Institute of Economic Growth (40), United Service Institution (42) and Liberty Institute (43). University of Pennsylvania invited 6,603 think-tanks from 182 countries to participate in the process. 1,100 plus individuals from 120 countries participated in the nominations and rankings process. Think-tanks were nominated, and subsequently ranked, in 38 categories. PTI