I-T Dept raids top think-tank Centre for Policy Research: Reports

The premises of CPR in New Delhi (Image: cprindia.org)

The Income Tax Department has conducted raids at the Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research (CPR), which is counted among the top think-tanks of the country, reports said on September 7.

While an official statement was awaited from the taxation body, a source privy to the development told NDTV that the raid is "connected to" similar action taken in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana "over funding of more than 20 registered but non-recognised political parties".

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the development.

CPR, on its website, states that it is recognised as a "not-for-profit society" by the Government of India, and contributions to it are "tax exempt".

"CPR receives grants from a variety of domestic and international sources, including foundations, corporate philanthropy, governments, and multilateral agencies," the note on the website adds.

The think-tank, founded in 1973, further states that it is a "non-partisan, independent institution dedicated to conducting research that contributes to high quality scholarship, better policies, and a more robust public discourse about the issues that impact life in India".

CPR's chief executive and president is Yamini Aiyar, a leading policy researcher who is also the daughter of Congress leader and former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar.

The think-tank's governing board is headed by Meenakshi Gopinath, a former teacher at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). She has also served as the principal of Lady Shri Ram College in the national capital.

CPR, notably, was earlier headed by academician Pratap Bhanu Mehta, who is considered to be a prominent critic of the incumbent central government.