Aristotle The Geek

While I don’t exactly go out looking for India-based think tanks who champion libertarian ideas, I got a welcome surprise when I found out that there does exist one such organization in India. It is known as the Center For Civil Society. This is what they have to say about themselves -

The Centre for Civil Society is an independent, non-profit, research and educational organisation devoted to improving the quality of life for all citizens of India by reviving and reinvigorating civil society.

But we don’t run primary schools, or health clinics, or garbage collection programs. We do it differently: we try to change people’s ideas, opinions, mode of thinking by research, seminars, and publications. We champion limited government, rule of law, free trade, and individual rights.

We are an ideas organisation, a think tank that develops ideas to better the world. We want to usher in an intellectual revolution that encourages people to look beyond the obvious, think beyond good intentions, and act beyond activism.

We believe in the individuality and dignity of all persons, and their right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. We trust their judgement when they cast their vote in a ballot box and when they spend their money in a marketplace. We are driven by the dream of a free society, where political, social, and economic freedom reigns. We are soldiers for a Second Freedom Movement.
- CCS : About Us

Their website provides all the paraphernalia that think tanks are expected to – commentaries, news letters and so on. And their Board includes the usual suspects – Gurcharan Das, Meghnad Desai, Swaminathan Aiyar and many others. A well deserved respite from the behind-the-scenes privilege bartering and palm greasing tradition that Indian ‘think tanks’ have been following for ages.