Ravi Sahai Saxena
Former Additional Chief Secretary Government of Gujarat
Born on 02 March 1953, Mr Ravi Sahai Saxena obtained his degree in M. Sc (Physics) from Banaras Hindu University in the year 1971. He remained as a Junior Research Fellow of CSIR for some time and worked as the Assistant Director , Quality Control with Export Inspection Agency, Ministry of Commerce for 4 years, and the Indian Audit & Accounts Service, before joining IAS in 1978 Gujarat Cadre.
He was a popular Collector and District Magistrate of District Kheda in Gujarat for his prompt and resolute action in resolving law & order situations, and in quelling violence on the spot in innumerable situations, which he handled personally shoulder to shoulder with the District police officials. He is known in that District also for implementing projects with extraordinary speed such as the one for a district level sports complex in 86 days to be utilised for the 7th Mini National Games by the School Games Federation of India in year1987. Another project was creating a complex for Collectors’ office in Nadiad town in matter of a few months from conceptualisation.
He worked as the Director (Nuclear Power, Public Sector, & Personnel), Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India from 1989 to 1994. He successfully supervised pilot projects on extraction of Uranium from Phosphoric Acid and Copper Tailings with the help of BARC in the Dept of Atomic Energy, GOI and also resolved many strategic issues of Electronics Corporation (ECIL), Indian Rare Earths (IRE) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPC).
He made significant contributions to the development of the Industrial and Economic infrastructure of Gujarat State first as Joint CEO in 1982 and later as the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation between 1996 and 1999 and Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (2000-01). He took the bold initiative of winding up 13 Sick Mills of Gujarat State Textile Corporation – first such exercise in India. As Vice Chairman & M.D. of GIDC, he set up Gujarat Cleaner Production Centre (GCPC ) as well as GIDC – Roefel Institute of Management in Vapi. He developed Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) across Gujarat and interacted closely with Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Public Sector Restructuring in Gujarat. He was pioneer in developing a port based model of Industrial Development. Much before the concept of SEZs was introduced to India, he initiated studies through KPMG consultants on SEZ law. . He structured and developed some of the most popular investment regions for chemical and petrochemical industries in Gujarat in the form of Jhagadia, Dahej, Lodhika and Vilayat industrial estates.
As the CEO of Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board, he structured Concession Agreements for Ports, Roads and Power Sector projects in the state and also prepared Infrastructure Development Plan for Gujarat on Public-Private-Partnership basis. He laid the foundations of the framework for the Public Private Partnership in economic infrastructure in the State of Gujarat.
He has made his mark as Secretary in Department’s like Transport, Prohibition, Jails, Social Justice & Empowerment and Health as also Principal Secretary (Planning) for Gujarat State where he delivered new directions which are being tracked until now. He created Gujarat Social Infrastructure Development Board Society and the Commissionerate for Human Development in the Department of Planning, Government of Gujarat.
After his stint with the Dept of Atomic Energy, his next Central Government Assignment was that of Development Commissioner, Kandla SEZ, with the Ministry of Commerce, Govt of Indiain the years 2007-09when he commissioned a large number of SEZs in the State. He was responsible for regulating several Export Oriented Units in Gujarat including the regulation of Reliance Refineries at Jamnagar – the largest in the world, as an Export Oriented Unit and an SEZ.
As Principal Secretary Health in Gujarat, he planned expansion of health services in the state in terms of increasing the medical colleges base in the state by making large additions to medical colleges seats at both graduation and post graduation levels, creating 4 new medical colleges in one year’s time and creation of Departments like Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine, with electrifying speed. He also set up the infrastructure for handling the issues of the outbreak of Swine Flu in the state.
He has been pursuing use of Information Technology in governance, right from the beginning of his career. As Collector & District Magistrate of Kheda (1985 – 88), he set up District Computer Center for implementing Natural Resources Data Management System (NRDMS) on pilot basis . He also deployed applications for monitoring the progress of the various projects undertaken by the District Planning Board. In 1989, as the Director (Nuclear Power), Department of Atomic Energy, he developed a computer-based Work Flow Management Systems for the Atomic Energy Department. As the Additional Chief Secretary to Government of Gujarat leading the Department of Science and Technology, he worked relentlessly to deploy computing in the applications of the government with a view to bringing greater efficiency and transparency.
After he took over the department of science & technology, he upgraded the ICT infrastructure in Gujarat and ended up creating the most robust State Wide Area Network (SWAN) in this part of the world. This connects almost 5000 offices across the length and breadth of the State , with more than 125,000 email addresses on its exchange server. This, along with the eGram network of Gujarat, which consists of 14,000 VSATS , is now serving about 50,000 nodes, thereby making Gujarat the most connected state in the country. He is now taking the state data center to next level of virtualised and cloud environment. His efforts have resulted in making Gujarat the only state in the country to have end-to-end IP based connectivity covering all 26 districts, 226 talukas and – through eGram – the 18000 villages of Gujarat.
He has also conceptualised a “Unified Communication System ” for carrying voice, data and video to all offices of the State Government on its proprietary IP backbone ie GSWAN, thereby ensuring complete telepresence of every official of the State Government.
He has chaired several panel discussions, been a panellist and a key speaker at many technology events, numbering more than a hundred in last two years alone. His views on technology and governance regularly appear as perceptive interviews and articles in illustrious publications in the field of IT. Under his guidance, the department of science & technology has organised events and conferences of national and international significance
He is a champion of Digital Empowerment across the rural Gujarat as also its urban slums. He cautions that ICT revolution is creating a schism between the digitally connected and those who are deprived, which may be dangerous for society. He believes that by bridging the digital divide, the society will gradually move towards holistic inclusion where the health, education, food, drinking water, sanitation, housing and livelihood issues of the underserved will also get addressed. He has been advocating the need to spread the power of IT amongst the people at the bottom to ensure delivery of intended benefits to them. He has ensured the deployment of ICT up to the Gram Panchayat level and encouraged development of various e-governance initiatives & applications like e-Gram, e-Kalyan, GSWAN, Police Computerization(HDIITS), District Computerization (ATVT) and an Integrated System for real time fiscal management of the state (IFMS). He saw to the installation of computers and digital media equipment worth over Rs. 700 crores in 17000 village primary schools to enhance quality of education in the state. He speaks at various forums about the need to address rural developmental issues through policy level ICT implementation.
He has represented Gujarat in various countries of Europe, USA, Canada, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and has addressed a large number of Chambers of Commerce, Trade and NRI Associations in different parts of the world. He has represented State Government in various Trade and Commerce Associations and has served on the Board / Governing Bodies of many Companies and Corporations.
His work in promoting eGovernance and IT development within the State of Gujarat has been recognised by various bodies. Few noteworthy awards include:
1. Patron of CSI 2012
2. Skoch Challenger Awards 2012 for Technology
3. Skoch Challenger Awards 2011 for eGovernance
4. Skoch Awards 2010 – ICT Person of the Year
5. The Express Group Technology Sabha 2011 – Best Speaker Award – Speech on Devices, Networks, Applications (DNA) for Transformation of Society
6. The Express Group Technology Sabha 2011 – Best Presentation Award – Presentation on DNA
7. ICT India Excellence Award (Progress of Development of IT in State)
8. ‘Award of Excellence / CSI Nihilent e-Governance Award 2009-10’