Sanjaya Baru’s comments on the travails of Indian think tanks (“Indian minds, foreign funds”, August 9) are interesting. I work for one such think tank, the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) in Bangalore. We are barely five years old. With an ambition of becoming a mini RAND Corporation for the civil sector, we have been able to attract a number of young and outstanding analysts. We have also been able to draw funding from both Indian and foreign trusts and other funding agencies. Both the Tata Trust and SSN Foundation came forward to support our programmes even during the fledgling years. Ministries of the state and the Centre followed them later. But what is interesting are the demands made by the governmental agencies for the results of our studies. Government officials and even a few ministers have found time to visit us and see our presentations. In spite of this productive engagement, the funding we receive from the governments is still modest and conditional, and it takes time and effort to get the proposals approved. With Indian and foreign foundations, our experience is different. The decision-making process is fast and smoother. But then, they have years of experience in doling out support. Considering the problems faced by the institutions in Delhi, I wonder whether Bangalore has a more salubrious climate for such institutions!
V S Arunachalam, Chairman, Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy
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