Vinai Kumar Saxena Age, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vinai Kumar Saxena

• Vinai Kumar Saxena is an Indian businessman who is appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on 26 May 2022. He has been  nominated as a member of Padma awards selection panel for 2021. He is the Chairman of the Khadi & Village Industries Commission (KVIC), an organization under the Ministry of Medium, Small, and Micro Enterprises of the Government of India responsible for creating jobs in rural regions through the implementation of Khadi & Village Industry programmes.

• In 1984, he joined the well-known J K Group in Rajasthan as an Asst. Officer and worked in the White Cement Plant for 11 years in various capacities. In 1995, he was transferred to Gujarat as General Manager to oversee a proposed port project. He quickly ascended through the ranks to become CEO and subsequently Director of the Dholer Port Project. He is noted for his elegant and sophisticated persona as the Director of Port Project and the Founder-President of the globally acclaimed NGO–NCCL.

• In 1991, he created the National Council for Civil Liberties, a non-governmental organisation that eventually took on Narmada Bachao Andolan campaigner Medha Patkar. Patkar was one of the most outspoken opponents of the Sardar Sarovar Project, which was being pushed by the Modi-led Gujarat government at the time. In 2004, his NGO in Ahmedabad established “Mission ENDURE (Ensuring Dust Reduction),” which received the UN-“Dubai Habitat’s International Award.”

• Saxena is the Founder-President of the widely regarded NGO-NCCL (National Council for Civil Liberties), which formed a formidable opposition for Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) for the welfare of Adiwasis. NCCL has also done considerable relief work in Gujarat’s earthquake-affected districts.

• In 2008, he won the “International felicitation” by United Nations Decade of Sustainable Development (UNDESD), UNESCO, UNICEF, UNDP in association with International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP), USA, (UN NGO) and Social Organisation for Health – Human & Management (SOHAM) for “Outstanding Contribution to Environment Protection and Water Security”.

• Saxena has injected vibrancy and established a slew of new and daring marketing efforts, including involving corporates for marketing convergence and establishing MoUs with Raymond, Arvind, ABRFL, NIFT, Globus, and others. He has also aggressively promoted Khadi with Public Sectors and Government Departments, obtaining large orders from Air India, ONGC, REC, PMO, Railways, Ministry of Health, Department of Postal and Telegraph, and others. He has also introduced e-governance into the Khadi sector, as well as e-portals for subsidy distribution to entrepreneurs, Khadi institutions, and craftsmen, bringing transparency and ease of implementation. Opening up Khadi for sale through franchises, malls, and retail chains has also been one of his primary goals, and Khadi has already found a home in Khadi Korners at Globus, NOIDA, Chennai, and Ahmedabad, with the help of the Retailer Association of India. Khadi Korners are also being opened in Apna Bazars around the state, and discussions with Future Group, Shoppers Stop, and others are underway.

• From 2016 to 2020, the Hon’ble Prime Minister nominates Vinay Saxena as a member of the ‘Empowered Committee’ for the evaluation of “Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration.” The Cabinet Secretary chairs this High-Powered Committee, which also includes the Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, the CEO of Niti Aayog, and the Secretary of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

• On 18 March 2019, the Hon’ble President of India nominated Mr Saxena as a “Member of University Court” of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, for three years in his role as Visitor of the University. This is the Institution’s Highest Body.

• Vinay Saxena was appointed to the “Research Council” of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology on 9 September 2020. The Research Council is the institute’s highest decision-making body, with the mission of boosting bio-economy through sustainable utilisation of Himalayan bio-resources and discovering, developing, and commercialising processes and products from Himalayan bio-resources using cutting-edge science and technology.

• Vinai Saxena was nominated by the Government of India to serve on the High Powered Padma Awards Selection Committee for the year 2021 in November 2020. The Committee is in charge of reviewing the nominees for Padma Awards.

• Vinai Saxena was named to the National Committee to Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence by the Government of India on 5 March 2021. The Hon’ble Prime Minister chairs this Committee, which includes past Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, and others.

• At a ceremony at the Raj Niwas on 26 May 2022, Vinai Kumar Saxena took the oath as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. The Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court Vipin Sanghi took Saxena’s oath of office and confidentiality. The ceremony was attended by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Delhi MPs and MLAs, and top city bureaucrats.

•  A press note released by the Rashtrapati Bhawan read,
  

  The President of India has been pleased to appoint Vinai Kumar Saxena to be the Lt Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.”

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to wish the newly appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Vinai Kumar Saxena. His tweeted,
  

  The former L-G Anil Baijal and I worked together in Delhi on several projects and tried to solve many issues. He is a very good man. I wish him the best for the future and wish him good health and a long life. I welcome the newly appointed L-G, Vinai Kumar Saxena on behalf of the people of Delhi. He will get the full support of the cabinet for Delhi’s betterment.”

• Soon after holding his position of the Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar effected a major bureaucratic reshuffle, transferring 40 senior officers. The Centre controls the services department in the national capital through the LG, and all transfers and postings are at his discretion. 34 IAS officers and six Danics officers have been transferred. According to sources, 14 officers were relocated to Delhi a few weeks ago from various states and Union Territories covered by the AGMUT cadre (Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories).

• Vinai Kumar Saxena, the newly-appointed Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, visited the sanitary landfill site in Ghazipur on Sunday and directed staff to present a plan of action for the total razing of all three rubbish mounds in Ghazipur, Bhalaswa, and Okhla within the next three days. He also directed that a dedicated team of officers be formed to develop a plan of action with a deadline for completion, according to a press release released by the LG office in Delhi. The LG said,
  

  The LG has suggested adopting the reverse engineering model so as to ensure that the deadlines are met and goals achieved. The action plan to be submitted by MCD will be monitored on a regular basis by the LG himself and if required, he would visit the site to see actual progress at regular intervals.”

• He is working on a program to engage the people of Delhi, NGOs, Ragpickers, and other civil society groups in shaping the skyline and landscape of Delhi in order to rid the city of piles of garbage at various spots throughout the National Capital.
• Opening up Khadi for sale through franchise and malls and retail chains has also been one of the major initiatives undertaken by him with close cooperation of Retailer Association of India and Khadi has already found its place in Khadi Korner at Globus, NOIDA, Chennai and Ahmedabad. Khadi Korner is also being opened in Apna Bazars in the State and talks are on with Future Group, Shoppers Stop etc.

• According to the sources, he was outraged that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at the London’s Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum was positioned on the second floor opposite an Ice Cream Parlour near a dumpster – instead of the wing where the statues of other great world leaders were shown. As a result, he allegedly wrote to then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, arguing that this smacked of”racial bigotry against India and its historic reverence role models. The Mahatma’s monument was immediately moved to the ground-floor ‘World Leaders Exhibition hall.

• Opening up Khadi for sale through franchise and malls and retail chains has also been one of the major initiatives undertaken by him with close cooperation of Retailer Association of India and Khadi has already found its place in Khadi Korner at Globus, NOIDA, Chennai and Ahmedabad. Khadi Korner is also being opened in Apna Bazars in the State and talks are on with Future Group, Shoppers Stop etc.

• He is working on a program to engage the people of Delhi, NGOs, Ragpickers, and other civil society groups in shaping the skyline and landscape of Delhi in the order to rid the city of piles of garbage at various spots throughout the National Capital.