Think tank corners many new positions in govt

Vivekananda International Foundation, founded in 2009, was the fountainhead of the anti-corruption movement of 2011

As many as six former bureaucrats associated with the New Delhi-based Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) might soon join the Narendra Modi-led government in various advisory capacities. The appointments, likely to take place soon, would reconfirm VIF’s role as the Modi government’s favourite think tank.

The think tank, however, terms all past and future appointments from within its ranks to the Modi government “sheer coincidence”. It says the government approached these retired bureaucrats because they are respected and eminent names in their respective fields.

According to sources, former Defence Research and Development Organisation director general V K Saraswat, former Border Security Force director general Prakash Singh and former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) secretary C D Sahay could be three such retired bureaucrats to join the Modi government.

Others whose experience might be sought by the National Democratic Alliance government could be Air Marshal (retired) S G Inamdar, former Ambassador Prabhat Shukla and former ministry of urban development secretary Anil Baijal.

The think tank has already given to the new government three of the PM’s top-most advisors. National Security Advisor (NSA) to the PM Ajit Kumar Doval, Principal Secretary to the PM Nripendra Misra and Additional Principal Secretary to the PM P K Mishra are all associated with the VIF.

Doval, former director of Intelligence Bureau, founded the think tank in 2009. He was also its director until appointed to the NSA in mid-May. Nripendra Misra, a former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India chairman, is on the executive council of the think tank, while former agricultural secretary P K Mishra was at the think tank as a senior fellow.

In the weeks to come, sources said, former DRDO chief Saraswat could succeed Chief Scientific Advisor to the PM, R Chidambaram. Former BSF chief Prakash Singh is likely to advise the Modi government on police reforms, while Baijal, given his experience in implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, could help the PM with his ambitious plan to build ‘100 smart cities’. Similarly, Sahay, who retired as RAW chief in 2005, could advise the government on internal security issues, and Inamdar on defence-related issues.

MODI’S FAVOURITE BRAIN TRUST
POSSIBLE IMPORTS FROM VIF TO GOVERNMENT

V K SARASWAT
Former DRDO chief, currently dean at VIF’s Centre for Scientific and Technological Studies

PRAKASH SINGH
Former BSF chief and expert on police reforms, a member of VIF advisory board
S G INAMDAR
Air marshal (retd), VIF  executive council member
ANIL BAIJAL
Former ministry of urban development ministry secretary, VIF executive council member
PRABHAT P SHUKLA
Former ambassador, VIF executive council member
C D SAHAY
Former Research and Analysis Wing chief, VIF executive council member

ALREADY WITH GOVERNMENT
AJIT KUMAR DOVAL
Former director of Intelligence Bureau, founder-director of VIF, is National Security Adviser to PM
NRIPENDRA MISRA
Former Trai chief, VIF executive council member is principal secretary to the PM
P K MISHRA
Former agriculture secretary and senior fellow at VIF, is additional principal secretary to the PM

VIF, it would seem, is what Policy Exchange has become to United Kingdom’s PM David Cameron or Center for American Progress has been to US President Barack Obama. Both are young think tanks that contributed to the electoral victory of these two leaders.

For its part, VIF was the intellectual fountainhead of the anti-corruption movement of 2011. VIF, in April of that year, hosted a seminar that concluded with the launch of an anti-corruption forum under the leadership of yoga guru Ramdev, Sangh ideologue Govindacharya, Doval and others.

K G Suresh, senior fellow and editor at VIF, said it was “sheer coincidence” that some retired bureaucrats associated with the think tank had joined or are likely to join the government. “These gentlemen have carved a niche in their respected fields. They are joining the government in their personal capacities and have been approached for their merits,” Suresh said. “VIF is a nationalist think tank. It is an independent and apolitical think tank and has nothing to do with any political party or organisation,” Suresh asserted.

VIF was established in 2009 under the aegis of the Vivekananda Foundation, which in turn was founded by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Eknath Ranade in 1970.

Others associated with VIF are several former diplomats, defence chiefs, bureaucrats, economists like S Gurumurthy and Bibek Debroy and even a politician, former Union minister Arif Mohammad Khan, among others. Modi as PM had unveiled a book by Debroy ‘Getting India Back on Track’ in June. Former Chief of Army Staff N C Vij has succeeded Doval as director of VIF.