Yamini Aiyar steps down as chief of Centre for Policy Research

File photo of Yamini Aiyar. (CPR official website)

Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR), announced on Tuesday, 26 March, her departure from the institution.

“An absolute privilege to have led & fought for this remarkable institution. CPR’s fierce intellectual independence and democratic spirit have enriched me enormously. Delighted that @CPR_India leadership will now be in the very capable hands of my wonderful colleague Srinivas [sic],” Yamini shared in a post on social media platform X.

An absolute privilege to have lead & fought for this remarkable institution. CPR’s fierce intellectual independence and democratic spirit have enriched me enormously.
Delighted that @CPR_India leadership will now be in the very capable hands of my wonderful colleague Srinivas. https://t.co/MR0xzYonVQ

— Yamini Aiyar (@AiyarYamini) March 26, 2024

She is the daughter of veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The CPR in a statement released on Tuesday said: “Yamini Aiyar, president and chief executive of the Centre for Policy Research will step down from her current role as of 31 March, 2024, to devote more time to her research interests.”

It added: “The Board expresses its appreciation for her excellent and significant contribution to CPR’s tradition of engaged multidisciplinary scholarship and for the energy, commitment, and sense of purpose she brought to her role during her tenure. We wish her the very best in her future endeavours.”

Notably, Aiyar’s exit comes two months after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) cancelled the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the think-tank on 17 January, alleging violation of norms while receiving funds from foreign sources.

The Centre for Policy Research, established in 1973, stands as one of India’s premier public policy think tanks. Known for its non-partisan, independent stance, CPR has been a beacon of rigorous research and informed policy discourse for decades.

The institution conducts advanced and in-depth research on a wide range of policy-relevant issues, with a focus on India’s 21st-century challenges, says the organisation’s profile page.

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Dr Srinivas Chokkakula is new CEO

Stepping into the role of President and chief executive is Dr Srinivas Chokkakula, a senior fellow at CPR and Ministry of Jal Shakti research chair. He has been with CPR since 2010.

Chokkakula is a political geographer, engineer, and town planner and currently leads the TREADS (Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies and Development Studies) initiative at CPR, the organisation said.

“Srinivas has worked with SRISTI and Ahmedabad’s celebrated Honey-Bee Grassroots Innovation Network. He played a key role with the Environmental Planning Collaborative, Ahmedabad, in the reconstruction of Kachchh after the earthquake of 2001,” the statement added.

(Compiled and edited by Shauqueen Mizaj)