ORF has launched a new, bold and impressive logo as it completed 25 glorious years. The logo was unveiled by the senior-most Trustee and Honourary Secretary Mr. Baljit Kapur at the 26th Foundation Day. Also present were Trustees Mrs Renuka Mishra and Mr Lalit Bhasin and Director Sunjoy Joshi.
ORF has launched a new, bold and impressive logo as it completed 25 glorious years. The logo was unveiled by the senior-most Trustee and Honourary Secretary Mr. Baljit Kapur at the 26th Foundation Day before a packed hall at the Taj Mansingh Hotel on September 5. Trustees Mrs Renuka Mishra and Mr Lalit Bhasin and Director Sunjoy Joshi were also present.
Before unveiling the new logo, Director Sunjoy Joshi spoke about the evolution of ORF which came into being in 1990. He said the Day provided us a chance to not merely celebrate 25 years of the steady growth and evolution of an organisation but also the opportunity to pause and reflect on 25 years of the transformation that has overtaken both the institution and the nation that it sought to serve.
"It is the moment to express gratitude to the remarkable men and women who worked tirelessly in the defence of the idea that is ORF -- the idea of nourishing truly democratic debates on key political and social questions, the idea of piecing together, joining fractious hearts and minds, to create a collage out of dissent in order to fashion a consensus through participatory thinking", the Director said.
He said ORF’s evolution, its impact as an independent policy research institution, has perhaps no parallel amongst organisations in the country. "As a think tank that seeks to solve tomorrow’s problems today, it has grown from strength to strength gaining global recognition along the way. The last University of Pennsylvania’s Go To Global Think Tanks rankings placed ORF at the eighth position among leading institutions in China, Japan, South Korea and India. Gaining recognition as a prominent think tank in the areas of defence and foreign policy, it was the only Indian think tank that ranked across seven different categories - true tribute to its coming of age as a multi-disciplinary think tank., the Director pointed out, adding that then it is little surprise that ORF figured amongst the world’s topmost think tanks - as the one to watch out for in the coming years.
Making a special mention of ORF Founder Chairman, late R.K. Mishra, the Director said "he was a man born in a different time than ours, but his progressive ideas and deep insights continue to guide us. This Foundation Day like every other is another moment to salute his remarkable vision and foresight".
The Director said "Mr R.K. Mishra may no longer be with us but his memory lives on. And we are lucky that we still have with us those who knew him intimately and who have continued to guide us. Amongst them are the honoured trustees present here. Mrs Renuka Mishra, ever affectionate but firm, who has contributed singularly to keeping us together as the family that ORF is. Shri Lalit Bhasin, who as a guiding light has helped us maintain organizational integrity as an entity registered under the Societies Act. And of course there has always been the indomitable Baljit ji, ceaseless and untiring in his efforts to keep us on the straight and narrow, the conscience keeper who has been with the organization throughout this journey of a quarter century".
The Director said ORF is an institution that was conceived of and has remained central to the idea of not just economic reform, but political reform, governance reforms both at the local national and global level. As an organization it has commanded a ring side view of the path traversed by this country over two and a half decades of reforms as it played a seminal role in building the political and policy consensus that enabled India to set upon this path. "Consequently, 25 years of our research, our publications and the many debates initiated by ORF provide a rich tapestry into which has been woven the fascinating narrative of the emergence of India upon the global stage as a rising power", he said.
The Director noted that, since 25 years its birth, ORF remains at the forefront - shaping debates on contemporary global issues, be it climate change, the global commons of the seas, of space of internet governance, or international security. Its publications are testimony to how India’s increasing participation in multilateral groupings, be it the G-20, IBSA, IORA or BRICS among others have marked its growing international presence, it’s increasing heft and weight in global affairs.
"The last 25 years of ORF narrate the story of India as it has acquired an unmistakable global footprint propelled by the process of reforms initiated twenty five years ago," the Director said.
As ORF completes 25 years, the institution rejuvenates and transforms itself into a much younger organization - one full of promise, optimism and energy - again an embodiment of the new India, the Director said.
New ORF logo - Video
The views expressed above belong to the author(s). ORF research and analyses now available on Telegram! Click here to access our curated content — blogs, longforms and interviews.
PREV
