Yamini Aiyar resigned as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Centre for Policy Research (CPR), one of the leading think tanks in India, on Tuesday, March 26.
Stating that CPR is in very capable hands, Yamini Aiyar said, “An absolute privilege to have led and fought for this remarkable institution. CPR's fierce intellectual independence and democratic spirit have enriched me enormously.”
Srinivas Chokkakula to be next CPR president
According to a statement released by CPR, Yamini decided to step down to pursue her “research interests”. Senior Fellow Dr Srinivas Chokkakula will be the next CEO and President of the organisation.
“Dr Chokkakula currently leads the TREADS (Transboundary Rivers, Ecologies, and Development Studies) initiative at CPR and is a recognised authority on water policy, a research area of established provenance at CPR. He has been with CPR since 2010,” the statement read.
In 2023, the think tank came under government lens as the Union Ministry of Home Affairs suspended CPR’s licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. Following the suspension, more than Rs 22 crore in foreign funds was “under freeze”. CPR was accused of using its foreign funds for litigation and environmental activism, in violation of the “objects of the trust”, an allegation that CPR has refuted.
CPR’s FCRA licence was cancelled in January 2024.
Yamini's resignation comes amid speculations that she may contest from Mayiladuthurai constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Her father Mani Shankar Aiyar has won thrice from Mayiladuthurai and lost thrice in the last six Lok Sabha elections representing Congress on most occasions. In 1998, he contested as an independent candidate and secured 77,000 votes.