ORF emerges top Indian think tank in Asia

The Observer Research Foundation (ORF) has emerged as the top ranked think tank in India in the China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea category, according to the latest Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, released globally today.

In the Asia region, ORF finished 5th out of 90 think tanks in this category, improving its position from 6th(out of 65) last year, while the first rank was retained by the Korea Development Institute, Republic of Korea in the Index, prepared annually by the Lauder Institute, Pennsylvania University, US. Japan Institute of International Affairs came second while Korea Institute for International Economic Policy came in third.

The IDSA finished 7th, Centre for Civil Society 15th, Delhi Policy Group 17th, Centre for Policy Research 18th, ICRIER 21st, Gateway House 26th,CSDS 36th, Development Alternatives 29th, TERI 34th, CLAWS 38th, Vivekananda International Foundation 42nd, Centre for Science and Environment 66th, Brookings India 75th, The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy 79th and India Foundation 84th. 

ORF improved its world ranking too tremendously, rising to the 50th position (out of 150 think tanks) from its 90th position (out of 137) last year in the worldwide (non-US) category.

Chatham House was ranked first. The only Indian think tank ahead of ORF was the IDSA which came 30th while ICRIER came 54th, TERI 90th, Brookings India 124th, Gateway House 131st and Vivekananda Foundation 138th. Brookings Institution, US, finished first in the top think tanks world wide (US and non-US) category. IDSA came 105th, ICRIER 110th, TERI 112th, ORF 119th and CLAWS 172nd.

ORF was ranked the highest think tank in India in the 'Top Foreign Policy and International Affairs Think Tanks' category.

In the world ranking, it came 64th out of 133 think tanks, moving up from the 85th position in the last Index report. Brookings Institution came in the first place.In the 'Top Education Policy Think Tanks', only ORF featured from India. It came 63rd out of 65 think tanks. 

Stockholm Environment Institute bagged the first rank in the 'Top Environment Policy Think Tanks' category while ORF finished 89th. The Centre for Science and Environment came 18th, Ashoka Trust Research in Ecology and Environment 19th and TERI 20th. ORF was ranked the highest Indian think tank in the categories of 'Best Managed Think Tanks', Think Tanks with Best Use of Internet, Best Institutional Collaboration Involving Two or More Think Tanks' and 'Think Tanks with the most Innovative Policy Ideas/Proposals'.

ORF once again became the most featured Indian think tank across categories, appearing in 26 places while the IDSA and Gateway House have 9 appearances and TERI 8 appearances.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently addressed flagship programmes of ORF. While Mr Mukherjee addressed the participants of the Asian Forum of Global Governance (AFGG), Mr Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the second Raisina Dialogue, organised by ORF and Ministry of External Affairs.