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Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla on Saturday inaugurated the 4th Audit Diwas celebrations and highlighted India's expertise in public sector auditing, particularly through the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
Audit Diwas marks the historic appointment of India's first Auditor General in 1860. The event commemorated 164 years of the institution's contributions to ensuring financial oversight and promoting good governance in India. "From time to time, people from the countries of the world come to the Indian Parliament to study our auditing system, to learn from it and to adopt the Indian auditing system... Officials and employees from at least 50 countries also come to India from time to time to get trained and learn about the CAG and the audit system of India," said Om Birla while addressing the inaugural session of Audit Diwas. The Speaker congratulated the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India and the entire audit community for their outstanding contributions to strengthening accountability and transparency in governance. The Speaker lauded the CAG's rich legacy, highlighting its evolution into a globally recognized institution known for its distinctiveness and credibility. The Speaker emphasized that auditing has transformed over the years and become a guiding force in improving financial discipline, transparency, and governance. He acknowledged the pivotal role of the CAG in evaluating the utilization of public funds and driving socio-economic development by auditing local governance and social programs. Recognizing the CAG's global stature, the Speaker congratulated the institution for assuming the chairmanship of ASOSAI (2024-27) and its successful hosting of the 16th ASOSAI Assembly. He noted that India's audit practices have become a benchmark worldwide, and there have been visits of public officials and international delegations from over 50 countries to study and adopt India's auditing practices. The Speaker praised the CAG's proactive adoption of emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, which has strengthened its audit processes and enhanced transparency. He also highlighted the critical role of parliamentary committees, chaired by senior opposition members, in scrutinizing audit reports, fostering constructive discussions, and ensuring financial accountability. The Speaker expressed gratitude to the current Comptroller and Auditor General, Girish Chandra Murmu, and acknowledged the contributions of past CAGs, audit officers, and staff who have made this institution unique. He underscored the importance of their continued efforts in guiding the nation toward good governance and a developed India. The Speaker reaffirmed that the CAG's work is indispensable to democracy and will continue to inspire excellence in governance practices globally. Girish Chandra Murmu spoke about the legacy and vision of the institution. He emphasized the importance of Audit Diwas as an opportunity to reaffirm the CAG's dedication to its mission and reaffirming commitment to good governance. Murmu outlined the progress made by the institution, highlighting key initiatives aimed at enhancing public financial management and improving accountability. Murmu further elaborated on the institution's focus on audits of social relevance that have a bearing on people's lives and livelihoods. He mentioned the institutional mechanism, which had been set up to synchronise the audit efforts right through the audit process. The CAG also shared about the establishment of the International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL) in Rajkot, describing it as a landmark achievement in enhancing capacity building for local government audits. This initiative has underscored the CAG's commitment to strengthening grassroots governance and promoting global knowledge sharing and collaboration among Supreme Audit Institutions. In the international arena, the CAG highlighted the institution's leadership in global audit forums, citing its role as the external auditor for several key international organizations, like the World Health Organization, the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the International Labour Organisation, International Atomic Energy Agency and Food and Agriculture Organisation. He mentioned the significant milestone achieved by assuming the chairmanship of the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) for the 2024-2027 term. Murmu highlighted the transformative role of technology in audit processes. He mentioned the end-to-end enterprise-wide IT system for audit process automation called the One IAAD One System (OIOS). He underscored the institution's proactive engagement with emerging technologies such as AI and data in an evolving landscape. He also expressed pride in the Centre for Data Management and Analytics, which serves as both a guidance hub and a pioneering research facility, while showcasing the CAG's global recognition through capacity-building initiatives with Supreme Audit Institutions globally. Recognizing the strength of its 41,000-strong workforce, SAI India celebrated outstanding contributions through its Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public Auditing and Accounting, fostering trust and confidence in its mission. Both the Speaker and the CAG reiterated the vital role of the institution in nation-building and governance. (ANI)
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