Canadian body to fund research by nine Indian think tanks

New Delhi, July 20 (ANI): Canada's International Development Research Centre (IDRC), the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have decided to give 13 million dollars to nine Indian think tanks.

These think tanks will use the funds to carry research and projects focussed on broad national, social, and economic policy issues.

In all, 16 institutions were selected from five countries - Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.The 21 million dollars investment in South Asia is matched by 14 million dollars in Latin America and follows 30 million dollars in grants to 24 think tanks in East and West Africa in 2009. he nine Indian Institutions selected are: Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy in Bangalore, the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability in Delhi, the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi, the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, the Indian Institute of Dalit Studies, New Delhi, the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, the Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat, the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi and the Public Affairs Centre in Bangalore.

Each of these institutions will receive long-term funding, enabling them to conduct research that is fundamental to the development of sound policy in India. (ANI)