Ahead of the expected infrastructural development along Andhra Pradesh coastline by global firms of Singapore and Japan, the series of developments out here have become topics of study for Think Tanks based in Bangalore and Hyderabad.
Think Tanks, the popular entities of the Western world, are the institutions which conduct research and advocacy for governments on social policy, political strategy, economy and military etc., are fast catching up in India.
The security aspects of the 972-kilometer long coastline is one of the crucial subject of study as it forms a substantial part of the country’s strategic coastal defence and security, according to the Centre for Human Security Studies (CHSS), a Hyderabad-based Think Tank. The institution is holding national and international conferences on broader issues of the theme, according to its founding director, Kanneganti Ramesh Babu.
“Several parts of our coastline are critically vulnerable. We need to look at ways to encounter avoidable disasters such as terrorist attacks and cyclones. We are holding a national conference in Gitam University, Visakhapatnam on coastal trade and security of AP in December-end,” says Mr. Ramesh Babu.
The organisation, in collaboration with National Police Academy, Hyderabad, also hosted a national conference on security aspects of the country with special reference to concerns over coastline. Top brass of the country’s security, including DGPs of different States, took part in the initiative, according to Dr. Ramesh.
Changing face of rural A.P., especially in the proposed capital region in Krishna and Guntur districts, is the focus of study for Carol Upadhya from National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. The faculty from school of social sciences says studying radical changes in the lives of farmers of this region is a rare opportunity and an interesting research subject. “It also serves as feed back to the government,” says Prof. Carol.
Experts welcome the growth of Think Tanks in the country but warn that they should raise the bar on credibility. “More often than not, they are reduced to a sort of consultancy. We need more independent and interrogative Think Tanks which can talk on behalf of people,” says political scientist G. Haragopal from Hyderabad Central University.
