Delhi: Tax raids at think tank Centre for Policy Research
Income Tax (IT) department raids are underway at the premises of Delhi-based think tank Centre for Policy Research (CPR). The leading not-for-profit is being investigated for funding linked to political parties, NDTV reported citing sources. A team of 10 IT department officers is searching the organization's Chanakyapuri office in Delhi. Here's all about the development.
Why does this story matter?
Founded in 1973, CPR is one of the most respected policy research think tanks in India. Previously headed by academician Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a vocal critic of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it is now chaired by former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor Meenakshi Gopinath. The organization's governing body includes Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, IIM Ahmedabad professor Rama Bijapurkar, and Former Ambassador Chandrashekhar Dasgupta.
Raids linked to CPR's funding
A team of eight-nine people purportedly arrived at the CPR office on Wednesday afternoon. As per reports, the team is specifically looking through their account books to investigate the organization's funding. The IT raid on CPR is connected to simultaneous raids in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Gujarat "over dunning of more than 20 registered but non-recognized parties," NDTV said.
Watch: Raids underway in south Delhi
In trouble for illicit funding?
On the official website, CPR says that it has been recognized as a not-for-profit society by the Government of India, and hence the contributions received are exempted from tax. "CPR receives grants from a variety of domestic and international sources, including foundations, corporate philanthropy, governments, and multilateral agencies," the organization says. The website shows a detailed account of its funding, including FCRA certificates.
Here's more about CPR
CPR's current president and chief executive is Yamini Aiyar. Previous members of the governing board include former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Chief Justice of India Justice YV Chandrachud, and senior journalist BG Verghese. CPR says that it is "a non-profit, non-partisan, independent institution dedicated to conducting research that contributes to high-quality scholarship, better policies, and robust public discourse."
