Ex-IAS Wajahat Habibullah, India's first CIC, to lead top New Delhi think tank

By Kashif Ahmad Khan*
The Centre for the Studies of Plural Societies (CSPS) has announced new leadership for the next two years. Wajahat Habibullah (retd IAS) and former first Chief Information Commissioner of India, will now lead the think tank, while Prof AK Ramakrishnan, retired professor of the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, will be the new Vice Chairperson. Prof Ahmad Kamal, the distinguished scientist and former scientific advisor to the government of Telangana was the founding Chairperson of the CSPS since 2021.
Wajahat Habibullah, a distinguished public servant, intellectual, and author, is the former Chief Information Commissioner of India. An IAS officer from 1968-2005, he has a distinguished record of public service including as secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Textiles, and Department of Consumer Affairs.

He has been a member of prominent international and national institutions including a member of the World Bank's Info Appeals Board in July 2010, a former member of the Advisory Council, Brookings Doha Center, former member, Advisory Council, USIP Education and Training Center, Washington DC, and former Chairman, Board of Governors, National Institute of Technology, Srinagar. His publications include “Government to Citizens Relationship in the Changing Economic Scenario", "Promise of e-Governance-Operational Challenges", "The Protection of Human Rights in a Disturbed Situation", "Searching for Common Ground in South Asia", "The and "My Years with Rajiv: Triumph and Tragedy".
Prof AK Ramakrishnan, a teacher, and public intellectual, holds an MA in International Studies and a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has a four decades-long bright career of teaching international relations, feminism, transnationalism, West Asia, orientalism, and postcolonialism in different Indian universities including Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

He is widely acclaimed for his contributions to developing West Asian studies in Indian universities. His publications include “Normative Dimensions of India’s International Engagement”, “Neoliberal Globalism and India’s Foreign Policy: Towards a Critical Rethinking,” “A Critique of contemporary liberal IR Theory from a South Asian Standpoint”, "Contestations Over Sovereignty: Revisiting the Role of EU in International Politics,” and “Postcolonialism, Islam, and Area Studies.”
Distinguished members of the governing council of the CSPS Anwarul Hoda, IPS (retd), former DG, Andhra Pradesh; Sushil Kumar, (retd IAS); Prof Furqan Qamar, Jamia Millia Islamia, former VC of Central University of Himachal Pradesh and University of Rajasthan; and Prof Arvinder A Ansari, Professor of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia.

Prof Ahmad Kamal, recognized among the top 100 global scientists, scientific consultant to the Government of Telangana, and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard; Muazzam Naik, businessman, philanthropist, and president of Humanity International Foundation (HIF), expressed their gratitude and best wishes to both Wajahat Habibullah and Prof AK Ramakrishnan (photo).

CSPS was established in 2021 as an independent, non-profit, educational and research training center in New Delhi to provide training and support in the spirit of a nuanced and analytical approach, and objective, method-based scientific research on all issues that arise or are at stake in a pluralistic society like India:

Nuanced intervention in national and international contemporary and historical debates, bringing the perspectives of the marginalised peoples and discourses into focus while generating new sustainable ideas.
Developing ideas based on reason and debate involving theoretical and methodological frameworks in pursuit of critical engagement.
Creating a skill-developing ecosystem through grassroots, national, and international academic and policy-oriented collaborations to become a robust contributor to government bodies with an ability to provide inputs and advisory on diverse themes and fields of research to enable dialogue across sectors.
Providing training and opportunities to early-career scholars and young graduates by providing practical research experience and preparing them to compete and contribute to impactful research in academia, policymaking, and industry.
Undertake rigorous data collection exercises to investigate contemporary research agendas in line with the SDGs to enrich discourses to establish a just and sustainable future.

Over the past three years, the CSPS has trained three batches of interns and completed several short-term courses and workshops along with dozens of academic talks and distinguished lectures. CSPS has also signed MOUs with several universities and institutions to provide our support to their students and faculty members.

---

Programme Officer, Centre for Studies of Plural Societies (CSPS), New Delhi

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

Green Revolution’s reliance on chemical fertilizers, pesticides contributing to Punjab's health crisis

By Bharat Dogra, Jagmohan Singh* Punjab was once synonymous with robust health, particularly in its rural areas, where farmers were known for their strength and vitality. However, in recent years, reports from these villages tell a different story, with rising cases of serious health issues, including cancer. What led to this decline? The answer lies largely in the erosion of good nutrition, once a hallmark of Punjabi village life. The health of a population is closely tied to its nutrition, and Punjab's reputation as a provider of high-quality nutrition has suffered greatly. The loss of biodiversity in agriculture has led to a decrease in the variety and quality of crops, resulting in poorer nutrition. Pulses, a key source of protein, have seen a steep decline in cultivation due to the disruption of traditional farming practices by the Green Revolution. This has had a detrimental effect on both soil and human health. Although pulses are still available in the market, they are exp

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Search This Blog