CPR RANKED 3RD IN THE REST OF THE WORLD CATEGORY, AND 15TH GLOBALLY
CLIMATE RESEARCH CPR
We are pleased to announce that the Centre for Policy Research has been ranked highest in India, 3rd in the Rest of the World category (non-US/Europe), and 15th globally by the International Centre for Climate Governance (ICCG) in its standardized global climate think tank ranking for 2016.
CPR’s ranking is based on the output of the 19 researchers at CPR working only on environment and climate related areas under the Environmental Law and Governance focus area, which includes the Initiative on Climate, Energy and Environment, among our total staff of about 100. In the absolute ranking, which is not adjusted for size of the environment/climate-related team, we are the second highest rated Indian think tank, and in the top 50 (33rd) globally.
The ICCG produces a ‘standardized’ ranking of climate think tanks every year, adjusted for the number of researchers. They also produce an ‘absolute’ ranking, which ranks think tanks independent of size. In both rankings, ICCG uses 15 indicators organized around three categories: Activities, Publications and Dissemination. For the full rankings, see ICCG ranking.
We are pleased to receive this high ranking, which recognizes the quality of the work done by our relatively small team. At the same time, we recognize any such ranking effort necessarily has to simplify a complex research and policy landscape to arrive at quantitative scores. This involves methodological issues, such as how to draw boundaries around environment/climate work, and substantive issues, such as providing equal emphasis to both national and international work, and mitigation and adaptation. The challenges of developing a ranking system that accounts for all these complexities should be kept in mind when reading ranking results.
We wish to acknowledge and thank our funders, partners at think tanks and academic institutions, and interlocutors in government, private sector and civil society who have enriched our work.
On 10th January 2024, CPR received a notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs cancelling its FCRA status. The basis of this decision is incomprehensible and disproportionate, and some of the reasons given challenge the very basis of the functioning of a research institution. This includes the publication on our website of policy reports emanating from our research being equated with current affairs programming.
During the tenure of our suspension, we sought and obtained interim redress from the honourable Delhi High Court and will continue to seek recourse in all avenues possible.
This cancellation comes after a decision to suspend the FCRA status in February 2023. These actions followed an Income Tax “survey” that took place in September 2022. The actions have had a debilitating impact on the institution’s ability to function by choking all sources of funding. This has undermined the institution’s ability to pursue its well established objective of producing high quality, globally recognised research on policy matters, which it has been recognised for over its 50 years’ existence. During this time the institution has been home to some of the country’s most distinguished academics, diplomats and policymakers.
CPR firmly reiterates that it is in complete compliance with the law, and has been cooperating fully and exhaustively at every step of the process. We remain steadfast in our belief that this matter will be resolved in line with constitutional values and guarantees.