New Delhi: The prestigious United Service Institution (USI), the oldest autonomous think tank in India, is facing a “significant financial challenge” and has reached out to its nearly 15,000 members to pitch in.
The members, who are from the services or influential individuals like IAS/IPS/IFS and Class-1 Gazetted Officers of Group A central services, have been trying to secure funding from the private sector, but it is learnt that not much success has been achieved.
In the letter, the director general (DG) of the institution, Major General Bal Krishan Sharma, noted that the financial crunch USI is facing is in contrast to other service think tanks like CLAWS, CAPS, NMF and CENJOWS, which are funded by the private sector or the defence ministry itself.
“USI does not receive any financial support from the MoD or the Services Headquarters. Similarly, MPIDSA is fully funded by the MoD through an Act of Parliament. Many non-military think tanks are financially backed by corporate houses and enjoy the patronage of various establishments,” the letter said.
It added, “Unfortunately, USI has not received funding from the MoD or the Service HQs despite numerous attempts to seek support at the highest levels. The institution is operating on a limited budget, primarily funded through memberships, project revenue and rental income from events held at its premises. Additionally, the financial corpus has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and low bank interest rates, leaving USI in a precarious financial position.”
The DG said that the management of USI has taken “stringent austerity measures,” including voluntary reduction in pay, freezing of dearness allowance and increment, and resorting to the hiring of only essential staff on a contractual basis.
“Despite these efforts, the institution is facing an existential crisis and urgently requires an infusion of funds,” the letter said, requesting each member to donate Rs 10,000 or more. It stated that contributions of any amount are welcome.
Founded in 1870 and registered in 1874 under the Indian Society Act of 1860, the vice-patrons of the think tank are the serving Service Chiefs—General Upendra Dwivedi, Admiral Dinesh Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh. Management is vested in a council of 24 members, 10 of whom are ex officio and 14 elected for a period of three years.
Interestingly, the president and the vice presidents are all serving top military officers, while ex officio members include Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh.
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Funding issues in the past
The USI has highlighted the issue of a financial crunch in the past too. Incidentally, the 2024 annual report also mentions that “USI continues to face acute financial constraints since 2011 due to lack of grant/aid from the Services or MoD”.
It had also stated that all-out efforts were made by the USI to reach out to the services, MoD, MEA, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and DRDO for financial support.
“During the financial year, no monetary aid was received, but the USI was able to obtain projects on a competitive basis from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and MoD, worth about Rs 4 crore. The release of these projects notwithstanding, the financial status of the USI will remain critical unless there is a major infusion of funds/grants from the Services/MoD,” it said.
The USI is regarded as a premier military-focused think tank and has tie-ups with those abroad as well. In 1871, the second year of its inception, the USI began publishing its flagship journal, which continues to be the oldest defence journal in Asia.
The USI library, built over 150 years, is the heart of the institution, housing more than 72,000 books and over 100 journals. It also boasts a valuable collection of rare books, some dating back 400 years, on a wide range of subjects, with a focus on strategy and defence.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)