Vinod Rai is a former IAS officer and author who was the 11th Comptroller and Auditor General of India. He is a former Chairman of the UN panel of external auditors and presently Distinguished Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore.

Forbes magazine had described Rai as being among that rare breed of civil servants who knows how to get work done in the government. He was also later a member of the Supreme Court nominated four-member panel to look after the administration of the BCCI. 

His book Not Just an Accountant: The Diary of the Nations Conscience Keeper, speaks about how the political system was exploited to violate laws in 2G spectrum case, Krishna-Godavari gas basin contract, Commonwealth Games scam, Indian coal allocation scam and the controversial purchase of aircraft.

He is also the author of the books: Not Just a Night Watchman and Rethinking Good Governance amongst other writings.