Yamini Aiyar to quit as CPR chief executive on March 31

TWO MONTHS after the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) received a final order cancelling its licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the chief executive of the think-tank, Yamini Aiyar, will step down from her current role “to devote more time to her research interests”.

According to a statement issued by the CPR, Dr Srinivas Chokkakula, senior fellow, CPR and Ministry of Jal Shakti Research chair, will take over as the think-tank’s president and chief executive from April 1.

The CPR, established in 1973 and one of the country’s premier publicpolicythink-tanks,hasseen its fortunes reversed since September2022whenitwassubjected to a survey by the Income Tax Department. Since then, CPR, which works with several state governments and Central ministries, has had its I-T exemption status cancelled and its FCRA licence (through which it receives 75%ofitsfunding)firstsuspended andonjanuary10,finallyrevoked.

The cancellation of the IT exemption has been currently stayed by the Delhi High Court and the organisation was “examining all options and recourses” for the loss of its FCRA licence, too.

In the statement, CPR India said Aiyar will step down from her current role as of March 31, 2024.“Theboardexpressesitsappreciation 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,” it said.

In a post on X, Aiyar said: “An absolute privilege to have led and fought for this remarkable institution. CPR’S fierce intellectual independenceanddemocraticspirit have enriched me enormously. Delighted that @Cpr_india leadership will now be in the very capable hands of my wonderful colleague Srinivas.”

The think-tank said the board also welcomes Chokkakula as the president and chief executive. “Dr Chokkakula, a political geographer, engineer and town planner, currently leads the TREADS (Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies and Development Studies) initiative at CPR and is a recognised authority on water policy, a research area of established provenance at CPR. He has been with CPR since 2010,” it said.

In January, Aiyar described her situation, as the current head of CPR, as “beleaguered but confident” and had said that in comparison to March 2023, the think tank’s staff strength was down from 150 people to just 20.

Yamini Aiyar.