With 192 think tanks, India has been ranked fifth on a list of countries with the highest number of such entities, according to a report by the University of Pennsylvania. Only the US (1,830), China (429), the UK (287) and Germany (194) were ranked above India.
The rankings were published in the annual Global Go-To Think Tank Index, compiled by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program of the University of Pennsylvania.
Brookings Institution (the US), Chatham House (the UK) and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (the US) were ranked the top three think tanks. Prominent Indian entities mentioned on the list were the Centre for Civil Society (ranked 50th), Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (100th), Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (105th) and Energy and Resources Institute (107th).
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) was ranked 17th on a global list of top environmental think tanks. This list was topped by World Resources Institute (the US), Stockholm Environment Institute (Sweden) and Worldwatch Institute (the US).
Sunita Narain, director-general of CSE, said: "This recognition for CSE comes at an important period in global environmental policy-making and climate negotiations. Today, there is a clear need for Southern voices to reflect perspectives on climate change. That CSE has been acknowledged also indicates our voice counts and must count more. The challenge will be to go higher on this list."
The index ranks pre-eminent regional and international think tanks and takes into account their role in influencing policy worldwide.
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