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| Abbreviation | VIF |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2009 |
| Founder | Ajit Doval[1] |
| Type | Public policythink tank |
| Headquarters | 3,San Martin Marg,Chanakyapuri, New Delhi – 110021 |
| Location |
|
Chairperson | Swaminathan Gurumurthy |
Vice Chaiperson | Satish Chandra |
Director | Arvind Gupta |
Parent organization | Vivekananda Kendra |
| Website | www |
| Part ofa series on |
| Conservatism in India |
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Commentators |
TheVivekananda International Foundation (VIF) is an Indian public policythink-tank.
The Vivekananda International Foundation describes itself as an "independent, non-partisan institution that promotes quality research and in-depth studies." The Foundation was established in December 2009, at a site in New Delhi'sChanakyapuri allotted by theP. V. Narasimha Rao government in 1993.Ajit Doval, who retired as the director of theIntelligence Bureau in 2005, became its founder Director.[1] The Foundation made news in 2011–2012 when it was said to be instrumental in bringing togetherAnna Hazare,Arvind Kejriwal andKiran Bedi, along withBaba Ramdev, to form the 'Team Anna'.[2]
In 2014, its directorAjit Doval was appointed by the Prime MinisterNarendra Modi as India'sNational Security Advisor. The Prime Minister's Principal SecretaryNripendra Misra and the Additional Principal Secretary P. K. Mishra were also recruited from the Foundation's staff.[3] The Prime Minister Modi is said to have been following the Foundation for some time and is impressed with its work.[4]
The Foundation states that it has no formal organisational links with the RSS or theBharatiya Janata Party. However, commentators have found Hindu nationalist ideas in several of its publications.[2] The news magazineTehelka has claimed that the Foundation supplied the intellectual inputs for the Narendra Modi campaign, defended him against charges in theIshrat Jahan case, and spearheaded theAnna Hazare anti-corruption movement to undercut theUnited Progressive Alliance government.[1]
The Foundation's primary output ranges from short articles and reports published online to monographs and occasional papers and a quarterly journal calledNational Security.[5] In addition, the Foundation also holds regular seminars and a monthly discourse on contemporary subjects titledVimarsh.[6][7] The think tank has also worked with other think tanks on joint reports.[8] A monthly magazineVivek is brought out too.[9]
VIF is currently headed by former DeputyNSA of IndiaArvind Gupta.[10][11][12][13]S. Gurumurthy is the chairman, and former DeputyNSA and former head ofNational Security Council,Satish Chandra is the vice-chairman of the think tank.[14]
| Name | Position in Indian Government under PMModi | Former Position | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajit Doval | National Security Adviser of India | Director of Intelligence Bureau,IPS | [15] |
| Nripendra Misra | Principal Secretary to PMNarendra Modi | Chairman ofTelecom Regulatory Authority of India,IAS | [16] |
| Anil Baijal | Lieutenant Governor of Delhi | Urban Development secretary,IAS | [15] |
| Bibek Debroy | 1)Member ofNITI Aayog 2)Chairman of Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister | Professor atCentre for Policy Research, New Delhi | [17][18][19][20] |
| V K Saraswat | Member ofNITI Aayog | Director General of theDRDO | [18][21] |
| K G Suresh | Director General,Indian Institute of Mass Communication | Senior Consulting Editor atDoordarshan | [18] |
| P K Mishra | Additional Principal Secretary to PMNarendra Modi | Agriculture Secretary,IAS | [22] |
| Arvind Gupta | Former Deputy National Security Adviser of India (2014–2017) | Secretary National Security Council Secretariat,IFS | [15][23] |
| A. Surya Prakash | Chairperson ofPrasar Bharati | Chief of Bureau ofIndian Express | [15] |
| C D Sahay | - | Chief ofResearch and Analysis Wing,IPS | [24] |
| S G Inamdar | – | Vice Chief of Air Staff | [25] |
| Srinivasapuram Krishnaswamy | – | Chief of Air Staff | [26] |
| Kanwal Sibal | – | Foreign Secretary,IFS | [26] |
| Balmiki Prasad Singh | – | Home Secretary,IAS | [26] |
| Prabhat Kumar | – | Cabinet secretary,IAS | [26] |
| Satish Chandra | – | Head,NSC Secretariat & Former DeputyNational Security Advisor | [27] |
| Tilak Devasher | Member,NSAB, National Security Council | [28] | |
| Lt Gen R K Sawhney (retd.) | DeputyChief of Army Staff, and Director GeneralMilitary Intelligence[29] | [30] |
Many retired officers from Defence Forces/ Bureaucracy form the think resource. The members regularly meet to discuss upon subject, ranging from prevailing political, strategical and other administrative issues with an aim of resource development and promote nationalism.[citation needed]
