Comptroller and Auditor General of India

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) is an Independent officer. This office is established by the article 148 (Part-V) of the Indian Constitution.
  
• The Comptroller and Auditor General is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department.
  
• He is the guardian of the public purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the Centre and the state level.
  
• The CAG shall be the most important Officer under the Constitution of India - Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
  
• The bulwarks of the democratic system of government in India are –
  (i) The CAG.
  (ii) The Supreme Court.
  (iii) The Election Commission.
  (iv) The Union Public Service Commission.
  
• The CAG is appointed by the president.
  
• He holds office for a period of six years or up to the age of 65 years.
  
• He can resign his office by addressing the resignation letter to the president or by the Impeachment process.
  
• The CAG submits three audit reports to the President–
  (i) Audit report on appropriation accounts
  (ii) Audit report on finance accounts
  (iii) And audit report on public undertakings
  
• The President lays these reports before both the Houses of Parliament.
  
• The CAG is an agent of the Parliament and conducts audit of expenditure on behalf of the Parliament. Therefore, he is responsible only to the Parliament.
  
• The secret service expenditure is a limitation on the auditing role of the CAG.

The role of CAG in the auditing of public corporations is limited.

(i) Damodar Valley Corporation, Oil and Natural Gas Commission, Air India, Indian Airlines Corporation, and others directly audited by the CAG.

(ii) Central Warehousing Corporation, Industrial Finance Corporation, and others audited by the other auditors who are appointed by the central govt in consultation with CAG.

(iii) Life Insurance Corporation of India, Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of India, Food Corporation of India, and others audited by private auditors.

Paul H Appleby recommended the abolition of the office of CAG.

Important Articles –

• 148. Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
• 149. Duties and powers of the Comptroller and Auditor-General
• 151. Audit reports