Vice-President to address IDSA's Foundation Day function

New Delhi, Nov 8 (UNI) Vice-President Hamid Ansari will address the 42nd Foundation Day function of the defence thinktank, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA), on Saturday.

Mr Ansari will speak on the subject, 'Emerging Foreign Policy and Security Challenges for India'.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the President of IDSA, will preside over the meeting.

Defence Minister A K Antony, who will be the Guest of Honour, is also slated to address the gathering.

This year's function assumes significance as the IDSA will be conferring the first K Subrahmanyam Award on Mrs Sudha Mahalingam, an Energy Specialist and a distinguished scholar of International Affairs.

The award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 50,000, has been instituted in recognition of the services of Mr K Subrahmanyam, one of the country's foremost strategic experts and former Director of IDSA.

Selected writings of Mrs Mahalingam and a special issue of IDSA's journal 'Strategic Analysis on Energy' will be distributed during the function.

A new journal, The Journal of Defence Studies, the Asian Strategic Review 2007 and a journal on chemical and biological Warfare will also be launched on the occasion.

UNI