Thu Jun 12 15:20:48 UTC 2025: **News Article:**

**CAG Enlists CA Firms to Audit Autonomous Bodies, Boost Compliance Audits**

**New Delhi, June 12, 2025** – The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India will begin involving experts from empanelled chartered accountancy (CA) firms in the audit of approximately 350 Central autonomous bodies starting this year. This move is aimed at addressing limited technical resources within the institution and freeing up resources for more comprehensive compliance and performance audits nationwide.

According to a CAG official, the chartered accountants will work as part of teams led by field officers from the Indian Audit and Accounts Department of the CAG. The responsibility for the audit work will ultimately remain with the CAG. Experts will be deployed across about 30 locations.

The CAG is also focusing on capacity building initiatives to keep pace with India’s rapid economic growth. “With India’s progress towards a developed country, efficient public expenditure and robust fiscal management have become increasingly critical,” the official stated. The scope and complexity of public service delivery systems have also expanded, necessitating increased audit coverage.

The entities under CAG’s jurisdiction include over 700 Central and 1,600 State public sector enterprises, hundreds of autonomous bodies, Panchayati Raj Institutions, urban local bodies, and special purpose vehicles.

To enhance professional skills and expertise, the CAG has launched a system-wide initiative providing immersive training in public-policy analytics, strategic finance, and digital governance at premier Indian institutes. This includes training in areas like AI, big-data analytics, and cybersecurity. The CAG has also signed eight Memoranda of Understanding with knowledge partners including IIT-Madras, IIM-Ahmedabad and others.

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