The Importance of the Central Vigilance Commission and Comptroller and Auditor General of India in the Smooth Functioning of Indian Administration: The top authority in charge of external and internal audits of national and state government expenditures is the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. It is popularly known as the CAG of India.
On the hand, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is another apex Indian governmental body established in 1964 in response to the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, led by Shri K. Santhanam Committee, to address governmental corruption by monitoring all vigilance under the central government and advising various authorities in central Government organisations in planning, executing, and reviewing their vigilance work. It has the status of an autonomous body.
These topics form important parts of the political science and the Indian constitution subjects for UPSC prelims, mains GS-II, and optional papers.
On that note, let’s discuss how the working of these two apex bodies is significant in the smooth functioning of the Indian Administration.
What is the Work of the CAG of India?
- According to the Constitution, the CAG’s duties and functions are as follows:
- Auditing the accounts for all expenditures drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India, each state’s consolidated fund, and each union territory with a Legislative Assembly.
- All expenditures from the Contingency Fund of India and the Public Account of India, as well as the contingency funds and public accounts of states, are audited.
- Audit of all trading, manufacturing, profit and loss, balance sheets, and other subsidiary accounts of any Central Government and state government department.
- Auditing the Government of India’s and each state’s collections and expenditures to ensure that the laws and procedures in place are designed to keep an effective check on the assessment, collection, and proper allocation of revenue.
- Auditing all central and state government transactions involving debt, sinking funds, deposits, advances, suspense accounts, and remittance operations. He also examines revenues, stock accounts, and other items with the President’s consent or as directed by the President.
- When requested by the President or Governor, auditing the finances of any other authority. Consider the audit of municipal bodies.
- Submitting audit reports on the Central Government’s accounts to the President, who will then present them to both Houses of Parliament (Article 151). Following that, the Public Accounts Committee investigates them and delivers its findings to Parliament.
- Acting as a guide for the Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee.
What is the Work of the Central Vigilance Commission?
CVC members’ duties include the following:
- When a public servant (a Central Government employee) commits an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, they enquire or investigate.
- They oversee the operations of the Delhi Special Police Establishment (CBI) in cases involving the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988. They also supervise the vigilance divisions of government ministries.
- They assess the status of investigations performed by the Delhi Special Police Establishment in matters involving the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
- They examine the status of applications for sanction under the Prevention of Corruption Act of 1988 that are pending with authorised authorities.
- When the central government establishes rules and regulations governing vigilance and disciplinary matters pertaining to members of the Central Services and All-India Services, the CVC is consulted.
- Members of the CVC serve on the selection committee, which is in charge of recommending the appointment of the Director of Enforcement (ED.), Director of Prosecution and officers to the posts of the level of SP and above (except Director) in the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act of 2002, the Commission serves as an authority to receive information relating to suspicious transactions.
- Lokpal reports allegations to the CVC, which opens a preliminary investigation of officers and officials from Groups A, B, C, and D.
