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Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses

Coordinates: 28°34′16″N 77°08′59″E / 28.5712°N 77.1496°E / 28.5712; 77.1496
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Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Formation11 November 1965; 59 years ago (1965-11-11)
TypePublic Policy Think Tank
Headquarters1, Development Enclave, Rao Tularam Marg, New Delhi 110010
Location
Director General
Sujan R. Chinoy
Staff70
WebsiteIDSA.in

28°34′16″N 77°08′59″E / 28.5712°N 77.1496°E / 28.5712; 77.1496 The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) (formerly known as: Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA),[1] New Delhi, is India's foremost think tank for advanced research in international relations, especially defence, strategic and security issues, and providing training to civilian, military and paramilitary officers of the Indian government. It is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence but operates as a non-partisan and autonomous body. It aims to promote national and international security by carrying out research on defence and security-related issues and disseminating the knowledge among the policy-makers and wider public.[2][3]

The current director general is Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, who took over the reins of IDSA on 3 January 2019 on a three-year assignment. MP-IDSA is the only think-tank in India whose director general is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, chaired by the prime minister of India.

IDSA has long been regarded as one of India's most influential think-tanks. The University of Pennsylvania's Global Go To Think Tank Index ranked IDSA 41st in the world in 2017. It received the top position among Indian think tanks.[4]

History

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Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses postal stamp issued in 2015

IDSA was established on 11 November 1965 as a non-partisan and autonomous body. It is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence and plays a key role in shaping India's foreign and security policies.[2] In February 2020 IDSA was renamed as 'Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)' after former Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.[1]

Governance

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MP-IDSA is governed by an Executive Council, whose members are distinguished personalities from various walks of life and which is headed by a president. The council is supported by committees covering different aspects of the institute's work. Executive Council Committees cover subjects such as administration, academics, finance, membership, etc. Members of the council are elected for two-year terms at the Annual General Body meeting.

The president of the Executive Council is by convention, an ex-officio position, held by the incumbent defence minister. The current president is Rajnath Singh.

Activities

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Research

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The institute's presently focused research areas are divided in following categories: South Asia, East Asia, Russia and Central Asia, West Asia and Africa, Europe and Americas, Military Affairs, Non-Traditional Security, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Terrorism and International Security. The institute has a strong research faculty of more than fifty distinguished scholars drawn from academia, defence, foreign affairs, media and other civil services. The institute's state-of-the-art library, situated at the heart of the Indian capital New Delhi caters to the needs of policymakers.[5]

Training

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The institute provides training and refresher courses to senior government officers drawn from various branches of Indian Civil Service, i.e., the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Police Service, the Armed Forces and the Para-Military Forces.

International interactions

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MP-IDSA has international interactions through various means. The institute holds international seminars and conferences, publishes journals, hosts to visiting scholars, and ties up with institutes from all over the world.

Government policy

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The MP-IDSA plays a role in shaping the Indian government's foreign and security policies. For example; the Indian Parliament's Standing Committee on Defence frequently calls on the institute's experts.[6] Officers of the armed forces come to spend up to two years at the institute to gain a policy perspective. The institute's annual report is tabled in the Indian Parliament.[7]

The Defence Minister of India informed the Indian parliament in 2012 that the IDSA appoints both civilian and military personnel to publish books, journal articles and reviews.[8]

Publications

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The institute's flagship journal Strategic Analysis is published bimonthly in collaboration with Taylor & Francis. It aims to promote an understanding of Indian strategic thinking on national and international themes.[9]

Other periodical publications include:

  • Journal of Defence Studies – a quarterly journal focusing on core issues of defence.
  • Africa Trends – a quarterly magazine on providing information on significant and strategic developments taking place in Africa.
  • CBW Magazine – a magazine focusing on arms control, disarmament, roles of state and non-state actors, regarding chemical and biological weapons.
  • Various policy briefs, issue briefs, occasional papers and newsletters.[10]

The members of the institute actively publish various books and monographs via regular publishing houses in India and overseas.

Ranking

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The Global Go To Think Tank Index, prepared annually by the University of Pennsylvania Foreign Policy Research Institute, ranked IDSA 55th in the world in 2013,[11] 105th in 2016 and 41st in 2017.[12] This was the top position received by any Indian think tank in 2017.[12]

Past heads

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Name From To
D. Som Dutt 1 August 1966 31 July 1968
K. Subrahmanyam 10 October 1968 30 September 1975
P.R. Chari 1 October 1975 31 March 1980
K. Subrahmanyam 1 April 1980 31 July 1987
Air Commodore Jasjit Singh 1 August 1987 31 July 2001
K.Santhanam 1 August 2001 31 July 2004
Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar (Acting) 1 August 2004 8 September 2005
N.S. Sisodia 9 September 2005 15 November 2011
Arvind Gupta January 2012 July 2014
Jayant Prasad September 2015 September 2018

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "IDSA renamed Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses". The Hindu. 18 February 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)", The Statesman's Yearbook: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World 2017, The Stateman's Yearbook, London: Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2016, p. 80, doi:10.1007/978-1-349-68398-7_149, ISBN 978-1-349-68398-7
  3. ^ "About us". Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  4. ^ 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, University of Pennsylvania, 31 January 2018.
  5. ^ "News /Updates : Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA)".
  6. ^ "Associated Institutions, Ceremonial Honours and Awards, Official Language Division and Defence Co-operation with Foreign Countries". Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012.
  7. ^ Prashant Jha, India's most influential think-tanks, Hindustan Times, 16 August 2015.
  8. ^ "Research Project Reports of MP-IDSA". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence, Government of India. Retrieved 2 May 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ Strategic Analysis: Aims and Scope, Taylor & Francis, retrieved 2 May 2018.
  10. ^ Publications, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, retrieved 2 May 2018.
  11. ^ Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) has been ranked 55th amongst the top think tanks worldwide (non US), in the 2013 Global Go To Think Tank Index published by The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania, Times of India, 22 January 2014.
  12. ^ a b IDSA retains top position among Indian think tanks in the 2017 Global Go To Think Tank Survey, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, 5 February 2018.
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