Vinai Kumar Saxena

Vinai Kumar Saxena (born 23 March 1958) is an Indian former business executive and environmentalist, who is currently serving as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi since 2022. He previously served as chairman of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

In May 2015, Saxena was appointed chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission, an organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. He remained in the post until 2022. He also served as the president of Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute.

Early life and education
Saxena was born on 23 March 1958 in Uttar Pradesh. In 1975, he founded a student union within his institution, Mardhan Singh Inter-College in Talbehat, Lalitpur, and soon elected its general secretary. After completing graduation from Kanpur University (now known as Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University) in 1981, he went on to earn a Pilot licence.

Professional career
Known for his leadership abilities on a diverse range of social, corporate, technical, legal, cultural skills, Saxena began his professional career as an assistant officer in JK Group of Companies in Rajasthan. After gaining experience through decade-long contributions in development of white cement plant, he was appointed general manager of the group and soon entered into the seaport project in Gujarat. Saxena later went on to became the CEO and Director of the Dholera Port Project in Dholera (which is dubbed as "India's Singapore"). He also led the construction of concrete gravity dam of the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) with the backing of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited.

National Council for Civil Liberties of India
In 1991, he incorporated National Council for Civil Liberties of India (NCCL), an NGO headquartered in Ahmedabad, which is recognised by the Ministry of Law and Justice. Under his guidance, NCCL began a project "Mission ENDURE" ('Ensuring Dust Reduction') in Ahmedabad in 2004, which later won Dubai International Award, by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Under his leadership, NCCL incepted an opposition to Medha Patkar and her Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) in their attempts to stop construction of the Sardar Sarovar Project in Gujarat. As president of NCCL, he moved to the Gujarat High Court against the then Governor of Gujarat Kamla Beniwal's decision to appoint retired judge Rameshchandra Amrut Mehta as Lokayukta in 2011, citing "breach of constitutional propriety by the governor in not heeding the advice of the state's council of ministers", then headed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Later in 2012, appointment of the Lokyukta was upheld multiple time by the court,   while it was noted that "the Governor is bound to act under the advice of the Council of Ministers, but the appointment of Justice Mehta is right as it was done in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court". NCCL, led by Saxena, was also instrumental in various other activities, including Water Resource Planning and Water Shed Management for Gujarat and Rajasthan, studying the impact of 2001 Gujarat earthquake through satellite imageries, deepening of silted village ponds in Bhal region, solution to reduce dust pollution in Ahmedabad, improvement in eco-tourism.

Saxena came in worldwide attention in May 2008, after raising an issue on a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Madame Tussauds in London. He found out that the statue was placed on the second floor near an ice cream parlour close to a dustbin, instead of the wing where the statues of other illustrious world leaders, exhibited at the museum. He raised the issue by sending a letter to the then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on 17 May 2008. On the next day, an apology was offered by the Museum authority and the statue was shifted to the hall named 'World Leaders' Exhibition'.

Later career
Saxena was appointed as the 'Member of University Court' of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in 2019. In 2020, he was nominated as member of decision-making body of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology. In November 2020, he was nominated as a member of the Padma Awards selection panel for the year 2021. In March 2021, he was appointed by the union government as a member of the national committee to commemorate the '75 years of India's independence'.

Saxena became associated with Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute (KNHPI), where he launched the technical production of handmade paper pads in Jaipur, Rajasthan, from white currency waste, coming from Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India.

As chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission
In 2015, Saxena was appointed the chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, that holds the exclusive rights to use both the trademarks Khadi and Khadi India. and played a key role in implementing numerous innovative schemes like 'Honey Mission', 'Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana' and 'Leather Artisans' Empowerment Scheme. During the chairmanship tenure in KVIC, he was instrumental in innovations of both plastic-mixed handmade paper and Khadi prakritik paint, for which he got patent certification. Under his stewardship, since the 2015–16 fiscal year, KVIC emerged as one of the recognisable Indian brands worldwide, alongside the turnover registered a remarkable growth. In 2017–18, KVIC's sales growth witnessed a "moderate" 13% rise, almost twice that of Hindustan Unilever's. During 2018–19, the company has reported an over 25% jump in sales to a little under ₹75,000 crore. In 2021–22, KVIC became one of the most trusted companies of Fast-moving consumer goods, that ensured the distribution of a whooping number of 55,000 New Model Charkhas and 11,000 modern looms.

Following the clarion call of Narendra Modi's 'Sweet Revolution' in India in 2016, Saxena drafted a programme named "Honey Mission". As part of the KVIC's 'Honey Mission', he launched the country's first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Sirora, in Ghaziabad, on 7 January 2022. 'Khadi prakritik paint' – another notable innovation of Khadi India – was conceptualized by Saxena in March 2020 and the trial issue was launched in November of the same year. He also incepted cow dung paint in the country which got the patent certificate from the Government of India on 23 September 2022.

Plantation drive
During the chairmanship of KVIC from 2015 to 2022, Saxena initiated a nationwide campaign for plantation of Moringa oleifera (over 45,000 trees) in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi. His efforts on the plantation of Moringa saplings were predominantly aimed at supporting beekeeping activities as well as creating awareness about it's medicinal values among the masses. He also administered the plantation of saplings of Sandalwood and Bamboo, ensuring financial sustainability of Indian farmers and local land owners. In July 2020, he earned invitation from the UNESCO to attend an international workshop on 'Wise Coastal Practice for Sustainable Human Development' for his major works related to water security in coastal Bhal region of Gujarat. Saxena initiated Project BOLD (known fully as 'Bamboo Oasis on Lands in Drought') on 4 July 2021, aiming the creation of bamboo-based green patches in arid and semi-arid land zones in India. As a result of the project, over 31,000 bamboo saplings were planted over 42.47 lakh Square feet in areas of Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Leh and Ladakh, Goa, Gujarat, Varanasi and Jammu.

Saxena, in association with Delhi Development Authority (DDA) – which maintains 733 parks, 7 biodiversity parks, the Yamuna floodplains and roadside greens, carried out plantation drives in different parts of the national capital territory as part of the sustainable habitat development programme in July 2024 to make the city greener. Newly elected Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi joined the initiative with Saxena, in which 50,000 trees and 5,50,000 shrubs have been planted in different locations of Delhi, including District Park and Lake, Vikaspuri, G17, Paschim Vihar and Punjabi Bagh. The campaign was inaugurated by Modi and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change – Bhupender Yadav, assisted by Saxena in Delhi, on World Environment Day 2024, with the name of "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" (lit. 'Project One Tree in the name of mother'), aiming to mobilize every Indian to plant a tree as a measure against climate change.

Watershed management
As part of the sustainable development projects, Saxena made an impact in water resource planning and watershed management in both the states, Gujarat and Rajasthan, preventing the Drought in India. He cooperated with foreign scientists in commissioning an initiative named 'Trishna', through which, unutilized water was parched into areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan. In 2000, he administered pond deepening process in areas of Dholera, Ahmedabad district.

Project 'Rainbow Hills'
Saxena made an impact in commencing the Project 'Rainbow Hills' in Sabarkantha district of Gujarat for re-constructions and modernization of tribal houses. Under the initiative, repairing of walls, floor, roof, verandas were done including the construction of eco-friendly toilets as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission, including overall developments of basic amenities to the local Adivasis.

As Lieutenant Governor of Delhi
On 23 May 2022, Saxena was appointed the Lieutenant Governor of National Capital Territory of Delhi by the President of India, and became the first corporate personality ever selected for a 'gubernatorial post'. He succeeded Anil Baijal for the post. In June, he launched e-sanjeevani services at the Hindu Rao Hospital of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, as part of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. In October 2022, he launched one-time property tax amnesty scheme 'SAMRIDDHI 2022–23', to provide a major relief to lakhs of residential and commercial property owners in the city.

Saxena attended as chief guest and inaugurated the 'Drug Free India Pakhwada campaign' at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi in June 2023, which was part of "Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan" (NMBA), in which 15,000 kilograms of illegal drugs were destroyed as per procedure at the incinerator located at SSI Industrial Area, in Jahangirpuri. He then took part in an official event hosted by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), describing aspects and future developments according to the 'New Master Plan Delhi 2041'. In 2023, National Green Tribunal appointed Saxena as chairperson of a high-level committee on the Yamuna Rejuvenation Project, which is a part of Namami Gange Programme, but the appointment was stayed by an order of the Supreme Court of India in July of the same year.

In September, Saxena inaugurated an online portal in Delhi, devoted to Vigilance Complaint Information Management System (VCIMS), the first of its kind in India, that aiming the handling of corruption complaints and ensuring transparency and confidentiality. On 23 September, after the conclusion of G20 New Delhi summit, he approved allotment and transfer of lands in Bhalswa and Uttam Nagar, for completion of infrastructural development projects. On 11 November, Saxena inaugurated Rajghat Power Plant Chimney, which became one of the tallest illuminated landmarks in the city. On 9 December, he inaugurated the new annexe building of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Delhi. In February 2024, joining with Police Commissioner of Delhi Sanjay Arora, Saxena inaugurated 'All Women Police Post' at Shraddhanand Marg Police Station, setting up a groundbreaking move.

Personal life
Saxena was born and grew up in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, on the banks of Paishwani river, a tributary of Yamuna. He is married to Sangita Saxena, who is an educationist and social worker based in New Delhi.

Controversies
He was accused of Khadi Scam and money laundering of ₹1,400 crore while he was the Chairman of Khadi and Village Industries Commission by the majority MLAs of the ruling party in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. He sent legal notices against the AAP leaders refuting these claims. The Delhi High Court ordered Aam Aadmi Party to take down defamatory posts from social media sites and said that the allegations were without merit. It also remarked that the sum of ₹17 lakhs was converted into 1,400 crores in a fanciful way without proof or merit.

Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia accused Saxena for approving the bill regarding Delhi's Excise Policy (2021–22) earlier without any issues of opening outlets even in unauthorised areas, of "changing stand as per requirements". After assuming office in 2022, Saxena recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe regarding the policy as the Delhi liquor scam came into spotlight in which multiple arrests made including the incumbent chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal.

On 16 March 2023, Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh released a video accusing Saxena of unleashing mob violence against activist Medha Patkar in 2002 at Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. Saxena's office did not offer any comments. Saxena is an accused in a case pertaining to the incident alleged in the video.

Awards and accolades

 * 2000 – selected as one of the four referees by the Third World Network of Scientific Organisation, for evaluation of an important Joint Research Project in Yemen titled "Characterization an Environmental Prioritisation of the Coastal region in the state of Yemen".
 * 2007 – Dubai International Award constituted by UN-HABITAT, for best practices to improve living environment in the city of Ahmedabad through project 'Mission ENDURE'.
 * 2008 – International Excellence Award by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) for "Outstanding Contribution to Environment Protection and Water Security".
 * 2017 – Luxury League Award for contributions in promoting Khadi in India and abroad.

Work(s)

 * Racing to Restore: the Yamuna Memoir (December 2023) – autobiography.