NEW DELHI: On Thursday, President Droupadi Murmu urged the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and other significant organisations to help India become a developed country by 2047. Speaking to an audience at the CAG-organized “Audit Diwas,” the President also praised the top government auditor for a number of initiatives, such as the founding of the Centre for Data Management and Analytics, which uses digital technology and other cutting-edge techniques in a way that is forward-thinking. She stated that having this forward-looking perspective will be beneficial. “Our compatriots today aspire to rapidly advance in creating a developed India by 2047.To accomplish this, all significant national institutions and communities—including CAG—must make a contribution, according to Murmu. The day of November 16, 1860, when the first Auditor General of India was appointed and the CAG organisation was established, is celebrated as Audit Diwas. Since 2021, the CAG has observed November 16 as Audit Diwas in recognition of the day’s importance in Indian history. In light of the paradigm shift in governance towards a digital bedrock, the chief auditor has also embraced technology, according to CAG Girish Chandra Murmu.“We reached an incredible milestone this year. Using our special enterprise-wide audit process and knowledge management IT System (One IAAD One System OIOS), we have moved to 100% digital auditing procedures as of April 2023, he stated. This has allowed us to have a single source of truth for all of our audit activities. This accomplishment, he continued, is the result of the tireless efforts of numerous people, including those who conceptualised and designed it, painstakingly integrated module after module, bravely spearheaded implementation, trained numerous people, and provided round-the-clock assistance. “Data analytics is a regular feature of our audit processes and routinely deploying advanced tools like drones, Global Positioning System (GPS) and remote sensing has enabled us to make incisive observations that would not have been possible otherwise,” said the CAG.He reported that during 2022–2023, the organization’s combined efforts produced 183 audit reports that encompassed the whole range of government operations and were presented to the State and Parliament legislatures. ‘Celebrating the resilience of the Indian Democracy and the role of the CAG of India’ was the theme of the second bilingual national online essay writing competition, which recognised the winners on this special occasion.
