**Executive Summary**
On June 3, 2026, Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book *When Audit Matters: CAG Interventions That Made a Difference*, edited by former CAG Shri Vinod Rai, at Uprashtrapati Bhawan. The event underscored the role of auditing as a vital instrument for democracy, ensuring fiscal accountability and reinforcing trust between the state and its citizens. While no specific administrative deadlines were set, the Vice-President called for continuous upgrades in auditing technology and the maintenance of high ethical standards by auditors.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Role of Auditing in Democracy**
* Strengthens democracy by assuring citizens that public money is used for public good in accordance with law, efficiency, and fairness.
* Reinforces trust between the state and citizens by helping governments improve systems and correct deficiencies.
* Acts as a comprehensive framework for fiscal oversight and democratic control over public finances.
**Ethics and Governance**
* The combination of ethics and audit is transformative, leading to improved public services and efficient resource utilization.
* Ethical governance must serve as the moral foundation of public administration.
* Auditors are required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct.
**Institutional Framework and Tradition**
* Accountability is rooted in Indian traditions such as *dharma* and *raja dharma*, as well as principles in Kautilya’s *Arthashastra*.
* The Constitution institutionalized these ideals through the rule of law and an independent Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) under parliamentary oversight.
* The "accountability cycle" involves legislative approval of budgets followed by audits and examination by Public Accounts Committees.
**Modernization of Auditing Systems**
* Stressed the necessity of continuous improvement through training and technology upgrades.
* Highlighted the importance of incorporating data analytics, performance evaluation, and sectoral expertise into auditing processes.
**Impact Analysis**
**Public Auditors and the CAG**
**Impact**
Auditors are recognized as essential to democratic health but are also placed under scrutiny regarding their professional conduct.
**Action Required**
Adhere to the highest standards of integrity; adopt modern tools such as data analytics and participate in ongoing training and technology upgrades.
**Government and Public Administrators**
**Impact**
The document emphasizes that government systems must remain transparent and subject to the accountability cycle to maintain public trust.
**Action Required**
Utilize audit findings to correct system deficiencies and ensure public resources are utilized efficiently and for the public good.
**Citizens and Civil Society**
**Impact**
The release of the book and the accompanying discourse enriches public understanding of institutional accountability.
**Action Required**
Participate in the public discourse and debate surrounding audit interventions and governance to reinforce institutional accountability.
Key Entities Referenced
When Audit Matters: CAG Interventions That Made a Difference: A book edited by former CAG Vinod Rai that examines significant audit interventions, governance, and institutional accountability in South Asia.
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG): An independent constitutional authority responsible for auditing government expenditure and ensuring financial accountability to strengthen democratic trust.
Shri Vinod Rai: Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India and the editor of the book 'When Audit Matters', noted for his role in public oversight.
Public Accounts Committees: Legislative bodies that examine audit reports to maintain democratic control over public finances and complete the accountability cycle.
Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore: The research institute that spearheaded the project under which the publication on governance and accountability was developed.
Vice President's Secretariat
Vice-President Releases Book When Audit
Matters Edited by Former CAG Shri Vinod Rai
“Audit Strengthens Democracy by Reinforcing Trust Between
the State and Citizens”: Vice-President
“Ethics and Audit Together Can Be Transformative for
Governance”: Vice-President
“Auditors themselves must be subject to the highest
standards of integrity and ethical conduct”: Vice President
प्रव तथ: 03 JUN 2026 6:22PM by National
The Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, today released the book When Audit Matters: CAG
Interventions That Made a Difference, edited by former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Shri
Vinod Rai, at a function held at Uprashtrapati Bhawan.
Vice-President Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan released the book 'When Audit Matters:
CAG Interventions That Made a Difference', edited by former CAG Shri Vinod Rai,
at Uprashtrapati Bhavan today.
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-President said that audit is a vital instrument
for… pic.twitter.com/oE8x86ChpV
— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) June 3, 2026
Speaking on the occasion, the Vice-President described audit as “a vital instrument for strengthening
democracy” and said that it assures citizens that public money is being used for public good in accordance
with law, efficiency and fairness. He observed that audit not only helps governments improve systems and
correct deficiencies, but also reinforces trust between the state and the citizens.
Highlighting the importance of ethics in public life, the Vice President said that the combination of ethics
and audit can be transformative, leading to improved public services, efficient utilisation of public
resources, greater resilience and enhanced public trust. He underlined that ethical governance must
become the moral foundation of public administration and stressed that governance systems are designed
to serve public interest.The Vice-President said that India’s traditions of accountability and ethical governance are deeply rooted
in the concepts of dharma, raja dharma and public duty reflected in Indian epics and scriptures, with
Kautilya’s Arthashastra laying down principles of financial oversight and accountability. He noted that
these ideals were institutionalised after Independence through the Constitution, which established the rule
of law, financial accountability and an independent Comptroller and Auditor General under parliamentary
oversight.
The Vice-President also highlighted the importance of the accountability cycle in a parliamentary
democracy, beginning with legislative approval of budgets and continuing through audit and examination
by Public Accounts Committees. He said this process establishes a comprehensive framework of fiscal
oversight and strengthens democratic control over public finances.
Emphasising the need for continuous improvement in auditing systems, the Vice President stressed the
importance of training, technology upgrades, performance evaluation, data analytics and sectoral
expertise. He also remarked that auditors themselves must be subject to the highest standards of integrity
and ethical conduct.
The Vice-President complimented Shri Vinod Rai and his colleagues for bringing together experiences of
former senior audit officers and presenting the stories behind significant audits in an accessible and
anecdotal style. He noted that the publication examines governance and accountability in South Asia under
a project spearheaded by the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.
Expressing confidence that the book would be widely read and debated, the Vice-President said that the
publication enriches public discourse and reinforces the enduring importance of institutional
accountability in a vibrant democracy.
Among those present on the occasion were Shri Vinod Rai, former Comptroller and Auditor General of
India; Dr. Iqbal Singh Sevea, Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore; Shri Kapish Mehra,
Managing Director, Rupa Publications; former senior officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service
who contributed to the book; and other distinguished dignitaries.
***
PR/ASM/VMJ
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