| Formation | 11 November 1965; 59 years ago (1965-11-11) |
|---|---|
| Type | Public PolicyThink Tank |
| Headquarters | 1, Development Enclave, Rao Tularam Marg, New Delhi 110010 |
Director General | Sujan R. Chinoy |
| Staff | 70 |
| Website | IDSA.in |
28°34′16″N77°08′59″E / 28.5712°N 77.1496°E /28.5712; 77.1496Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), is an Indianthink tank for advanced research ininternational relations, especially defence, strategic and security issues. It also provides training to civilian, military and police officers of theIndian government. It is non-partisan and autonomous. It is funded by theIndia's Ministry of Defence.
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.[1][2]
The current director general is AmbassadorSujan R. Chinoy, who took over the reins of MP-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.
MPIDSA has long been regarded as one of India's most influential think-tanks. The University of Pennsylvania'sGlobal Go To Think Tank Index ranked IDSA 41st in the world in 2017. It received the top position among Indian think tanks.[3]
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.[1] In February 2020 IDSA was renamed as 'Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA)' after former Defence MinisterManohar Parrikar.[4]
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 incumbentdefence minister. The current president isRajnath Singh.
The institute's presently focused research areas are divided in following categories:South Asia,East Asia,Russia andCentral Asia,West Asia andAfrica,Europe andAmericas,Military Affairs,Non-Traditional Security,Weapons of Mass Destruction, andTerrorism andInternational 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 theIndian capitalNew Delhi caters to the needs of policymakers.[5]
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.
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.
The MP-IDSA plays a role in shaping the Indian government's foreign and security policies. For example; theIndian 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]
The institute's flagship journalStrategic Analysis is published bimonthly in collaboration withTaylor & Francis. It aims to promote an understanding of Indian strategic thinking on national and international themes.[9]
Other periodical publications include:
The members of the institute actively publish various books and monographs via regular publishing houses in India and overseas.
TheGlobal Go To Think Tank Index, prepared annually by theUniversity 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]
| 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 CommodoreJasjit Singh | 1 August 1987 | 31 July 2001 |
| K.Santhanam | 1 August 2001 | 31 July 2004 |
| CommodoreC. 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 |
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