Kanti Bajpai Wins K. Subrahmanyam Award 2012 at 48th IDSA Foundation Day

November 10, 2012

New Delhi November 10, 2012: The Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) has played a key role in “promoting a culture of strategic thinking” and helping in “nation building”, said Defence Minister and President of IDSA, Shri AK Antony at the 48th Foundation Day of the IDSA on November 10, 2012.

He further noted that the IDSA, through its research, is generating awareness on how India proposes to meet with “the growing challenges on political, economic and security front”.

The Raksha Mantri presented the prestigious K. Subrahmanyam Award to Prof. Kanti Bajpai, currently visiting professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, for excellence in Research on Strategic and Security Issues.

IDSA scholar, Dr Laxman Kumar Behera, was also honoured with the President’s Award for the publication of his research articles in peer reviewed journals of international standing and repute – ‘India’s Defence Acquisition System: Need for Further Reforms’, that featured in The Korean Journal of Defence Analysis in March, 2012 and ‘India’s Naval Shipbuilding Industry: Key Gaps and Policy Options’, which was published in Defence Studies Vol. 12, No. 3, in September, 2012.

Shri Antony also gave a thumps up to the institute for balancing between its traditional areas of research and at the same time bringing within its fold new themes of research, such as energy security, cyber security, space security, maritime issues, climate change, India’s procurement policies and out of area contingency operations.

He however, advised IDSA to prioritize its resources to be able to respond to changes that are taking place in and around India, so that its research outputs are “authentic, credible, and of high quality”.

Prof Kanti Bajpai, recipient of the 6th K. Subrahmanyam Award, paid rich tribute to late K. Subrahmanyam, one of India’s foremost strategic experts and a former IDSA director, in whose memory the award has been instituted. Describing him as a “Strategic hawk and much more”, Prof Bajapi said that Shri Subrahmanyam has left a rich legacy behind and IDSA is a testimony to that. The K. Subrahmanyam Award was instituted in 2007 by IDSA and carries a citation and cash prize.

Earlier, welcoming the Raksha Mantri and other distinguished guests, Director General, IDSA, Dr Arvind Gupta said that the institute in its journey of 47 years, has grown to become “a well known name among the strategic community,” thus realising the vision of its founders, to see the Institute grow as a premier think tank. “The Institute has been funded generously by the government. But it has maintained its objectivity and independence in matters of research. This has greatly helped the Institute to emerge as a serious and credible think tank” added Dr Gupta.

Highlighting the importance of think tanks in shaping public policy debates and in anticipating and analysing the shifting geo-strategic landscape, Dr Gupta said that “think tanks are ideas factories” and should be encouraged to think innovatively and constructively. “India needs several world class think tanks. The vibrancy of strategic community is often judged by the number of think tanks, the quality of their research, and their external outreach. The IDSA has made notable contribution in these areas,” concluded Dr Gupta.