New Delhi [India], November 16 (ANI): Vice President CP Radhakrishnan inaugurated the Audit Diwas celebrations in the national capital on Sunday, marking the beginning of the 166th year of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). The day honors the institution’s longstanding role in promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance in the management of public resources.
In his address, the Vice President praised the institution’s progress in transforming audit practices to serve as a facilitator of good governance and to strengthen executive accountability. He emphasized that audit today is not merely a retrospective review but a forward-looking tool for reform, foresight, and innovation.
The Vice President also commended the CAG’s recent initiatives in capacity building through collaborations with leading academic and professional institutions such as the IITs and IIMs. He expressed confidence in the CAG’s role as a trusted partner in the government’s efforts toward holistic development across economic, social, technological, environmental, and institutional domains, advancing the nation’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
He further highlighted the CAG’s achievements on the international stage as Chair of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) and key committees of the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), noting India’s contributions to global standards in ethical, transparent, and technology-enabled auditing.
C&AG of India K. Sanjay Murthy reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to strengthening public accountability through continual reform, innovation, and knowledge-sharing. He outlined four foundational pillars guiding the CAG’s transformation: stakeholder engagement, digital transformation, alignment with Viksit Bharat 2047, and capacity building.
On stakeholder engagement, Murthy noted that the institution is deepening collaboration through regular dialogue, including pre-audit interactions. Public finance data is being published in accessible formats, with outreach expanding to key sectors such as power, urban development, and Panchayati Raj. He added that management letters highlighting good practices and areas for improvement are now being shared with the Government of India based on horizontal audits, including those of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS).
He also underscored the partnership with the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) in organizing colloquiums to engage with researchers and academicians.
On digital transformation, Murthy announced a major shift to remote and hybrid audits, with mandatory desk reviews of auditee databases prior to fieldwork to identify outliers and sharpen audit focus. He unveiled the CAG-Connect Portal, a real-time digital platform linking nearly 10 lakh auditee entities with audit offices nationwide. He also announced the development of CAG-LLM, an indigenously built Large Language Model designed to harness institutional knowledge and support AI-driven audit analytics.
Speaking on alignment with Viksit Bharat 2047, Murthy said the institution has realigned its priorities to support the national mission, beginning with audits assessing the performance of Urban Local Governments and evaluating Ease of Living across 100 major cities. This will be followed by audits on Ease of Doing Business, focusing on MSMEs and startups, and evaluating key enablers such as process integration, grievance redressal, and user experience.
On capacity building, he emphasized training initiatives in data science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity for IT audits. He highlighted the formation of a dedicated cohort of young officers as “AI Champions,” leading innovative AI-based audit projects. He praised the professionalism and dedication of the organization’s 40,000-plus staff members, calling them its greatest strength.
Murthy concluded by reaffirming the CAG’s commitment to being a forward-looking partner in governance rather than merely an examiner of past records.
Audit Diwas celebrations included the presentation of CAG Awards for innovation and excellence, technical demonstrations of new AI-driven audit initiatives, and the launch of new software aimed at improving stakeholder communication and institutional learning. Winners of the National Online Essay Writing Competition conducted via the MyBharat portal were also felicitated. Bhaskar Kumar and Master Advaith Sajeev received first prizes in the Hindi and English categories, respectively. Five AI Champions showcased pilot AI projects demonstrating enhanced efficiency and impact in auditing and accounting functions. (ANI)
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