Be a think-tank, CPS told

100th bulletin of Centre for Policy Studies released Visakhapatnam: The Center for Policy Studies (CPS), the brainchild of well-known philanthropist Prof A Prasanna Kumar, has a greater role to play in shaping national policies that impact common people, said former director of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, Commodore C Uday Bhaskar. Uday Bhaskar was the chief guest at the release of 100th bulletin of CPS at a simple function held at the Public Library in the city on Tuesday evening. He said there was a need for think-tanks like CPS to contribute to the discourse and strengthen the democratic principles that govern the nation. "A civilised discourse and principled dissent is what guides institutions like Center for Policy Studies,'' he said recalling his association with IDSA and National Maritime Foundation where he was the director for some time. Commenting on the last two decades of the Indian democracy, Bhaskar said legislature, executive and judiciary had lost their credibility and even the fourth estate also saw erosion of the same. At this juncture, the CPS, which is modest in profile and maintains an integrity to its core mission, has a greater role to play, he said. He said he had been associated with the journal and its director Prof A Prasanna Kumar for over one-and-half-a-decades and their discussions veered around the 1998 nuclear tests and the subsequent events that shaped the country further. In his hour-long speech, Bhaskar recalled his association with K Subrahmanyam, the doyen of Indian security and strategies, and how they formed a civil pressure group in New Delhi, which cast its influence on fiscal strategies, urban water supply, challenges of energy, garbage disposal in urban areas and management of environment. He suggested that the CPS could function on similar lines and put pressure on the local government. Former President of Bar Council of India and well-known advocate D V Subba Rao, who presided over the meeting, said Prof Prasanna Kumar had been doing a splendid job in running the CPS without any financial support. Economist C Ranga Rajan and former Advocate General Soli Sorabjee were all praise for the bulletin being brought out by CPS. Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof GSN Raju said the bulletin had all the ingredients of politics, history, economics and environment and had been influencing the younger generation with valuable articles. "This could not have been possible without the commitment of Prof Prasanna Kumar,'' he said added that Andhra University would be glad to extend any help needed by the CPS. The well-attended meeting had the participation of number of reputed denizens of the city.