Know all about Najeeb Jung, Delhi's 20th Lieutenant Governor

In a surprised move on Thursday, Najeeb Jung submitted his resignation as Delhi's Lieutenant Governor. Najeeb had assumed Delhi L-G's office in 2013.

In the press release issued by Delhi's Raj Niwas, Najeeb announced his decision and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for all the help and cooperation he received during his tenure as the Lt. Governor of Delhi.

Shri Jung also thanks the people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year’s President Rule in Delhi, when he got unstinted support from them and which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly.  

He also thanks the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi for his association in the last two years.

Let us look into the life and political career of Najeeb Jung who served Delhi as the 20th Lieutenant Governor.

Early Life and Education

Najeeb Jung was born on 18 January 1951. He pursued his BA (Hons) and MA in History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, University of Delhi. He later completed M.Sc in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries from the London School of Economics.

He is a seasoned Indian politician and a former civil servant who served as the 20th Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. He was the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia, a central university in Delhi, from 2009 to 2013.

Indian Administrative Service

He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1973 and had stints in Madhya Pradesh and with the Government of India. He served as Lieutenant Governor of Delhi before resigning on 22nd December, 2016.

Jung joined Indian Administrative Service in 1973 and was encadered into the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He served as Joint Secretary to Government of India in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from year 1994 to 1999. He resigned from the service in 1999.

Senior Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank

He later served as a Senior Energy Specialist at the Asian Development Bank, as Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, University of Oxford and as Director for Energy Research at the Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi.

He has published several monographs and reports on the energy sector and is a regular contributor to national newspapers on education and social issues. He was the Chairman of a Core Committee of Vice-Chancellors appointed by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (India) to examine various aspects of higher education, Chairman of a Committee to review the existing schemes for enhancing participation of minorities in higher education, Member of the Special Task Force set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs (India) to suggest developmental options for the Jammu region of the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

He quit the service in 1995 after his stint as joint secretary (exploration) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (India). Jung played a crucial role in the privatization of ONGC's Panna-Mukta oilfield that went to a consortium of Reliance-ONGC and British Gas. Jung also had a stint in the Asian Development Bank. Later, he became director, energy research, in Reliance-run Observer Research Foundation.

In 2009 September, he became the Vice Chancellor of the Jamia Millia Islamia. In October 2010 he endorsed the judgement of Allahabad High Court on Babri Masjid Ram Janmabhoomi suit.

Also Read: Najeeb Jung quits as Delhi Lieutenant Governor, thanks PM Modi and CM Kejriwal for 'all support'