Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Vinod Rai is among the 19 personalities named for the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in India, on Republic Day this year.

A 1972-batch Kerala cadre officer of Indian Administrative Service, Rai is credited with bringing to the fore financial irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation, coal mines allotment and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games during his stint as the 11th CAG between January 2008 and May 2013.

His report on the issue of licences and allocation of 2G spectrum by the then United Progressive Alliance government created a major controversy as the CAG estimated a presumptive loss of Rs.1.7 lakh crore to the exchequer in the spectrum sales.

On February 2, 2012, the Supreme Court declared the spectrum allotment as "unconstitutional and arbitrary" and quashed all 122 licences issued in 2008 by the then communications minister A. Raja.

--Indo-Asian New Service

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