Business Standard | 28 January 2016
Observer Research Foundation (ORF) led the Indian think tanks in Asia in the latest Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, released globally on January 28, 2016, becoming the largest ranked institution from Asia with 22 appearances in various categories.
In the China, India, Japan and Republic of Korea Region, ORF has been ranked sixth, followed by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), in the 2015 index, prepared by Pennsylvania University.
The top rank in this category of Top Think Tanks by Region went to the Korea Development Institute, Republic of Korea while the Japan Institute of International Affairs bagged the second place while China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations finished on the fourth spot.
ORF and the IDSA finished ahead of even Asian centres of top US think tanks like Carnegie China Center (9th), Brookings China Center (17th) and the Shanghai Institute of Social Sciences (39th). The Centre for Policy Research came on 18th, Delhi Policy Group on 21st, ICRIER 27th, TERI 29th, CSDS 33rd, NCAER 43rd, ICWA 58th and Centre for Science and Environment 63rd.
In all, ORF was ranked in 22 categories - a first for think tanks from India. The closest think tank from India is Development Alternative, which was ranked in 18 categories. The Energy and Resource Institute and Gateway House with 9 appearances each and Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) and Council on Energy, Energy, Environment and Water with 8 appearances each.
In India, ORF was ranked second behind the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) while the Delhi Policy Group finished third. Brookings Institution India came 7th and IDSA 8th while the Centre for Policy Research came 11th.
In the Top Think Tanks worldwide (US and non-US), the IDSA came 104th and ORF 118th even as the Brookings Institution, US bagged the first place, Chatham House, UK, the second place and Carnegie Endowment the third place.
Other Indian think tanks to figure in this section are Centre for Civil Society 79th, ICRIER 109th, TERI 111th, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS) 167th, Delhi Policy Group 169th and Centre for Policy Research 172nd.
In the Top Think Tanks Worldwide (non-US), the IDSA was ranked 31st and ICRIER 60th, ORF came 90th and the Vivekananda International Foundation 137th.
ORF was the only Indian think tank to be ranked in almost all the categories of the rankings done by the Lauder Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, US.
In the top think tanks in the area of research category, the IDSA came 40th while the ORF bagged the 54th spot, CLAWS 70th and the USI 107th. The first rank in this category went to Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), US, and the second to International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), UK. The Brookings came fourth.
TERI was ranked 6th in the top energy think tanks while ORF came 46th in this category.
ORF was ranked 63rd in the top educational policy think tank, 133rd in the domestic economic policy think tanks, 89th in the environment think tanks, 85th in the foreign policy and international affairs think tanks, 53rd in domestic affairs think tanks, 122nd in internal domestic policy think tanks, 75th in international economic think tanks and 96th in social policy think tanks.
ORF was ranked 10th among the best think tanks to watch and 19th for think tanks for most innovative policy and idea besides being 45th for best use of social networks, 23rd for best use of internet and 59th for think tanks with outstanding policy-oriented research programmes.
ORF was also ranked 68th best managed think tank in the world while IDSA bagged the 71st place.
ORF figured in many other categories also.
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