Current Affairs- India(Polity)

Current Affairs-Indian(Polity)

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Current Affairs- India(Polity)

1 Cabinet withdraws proposed amendments to RTI
The Union Cabinet has decided to withdraw some amendments it had proposed to be Right to Information Act after protests from civil society which was also backed by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to withdraw the amendments which had sought to restrict disclosure of file notings only to social and developmental issues under the transparency law. The amendments were cleared by the Cabinet way back in 2006 but could not be brought to Parliament because stiff opposition from NGOs, activists and Central Information Commission, all of whom felt the changes would dilute the Bill. The decision will help an RTI applicant to access file noting on almost all matters of governance barring the ones related to national security, international relations and privacy and protection of commercial interest.

2 Preliminary hearing of P.A. Sangma Plea

A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court will have a preliminary hearing on November 20 on the maintainability of P.A. Sangmas petition challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President. Mr. Sangma, the unsuccessful NDA supported candidate, contended that Mr. Mukherjee was not eligible to contest for President as he had been holding offices of profit. According to the SC rules, there has to be a preliminary hearing and the matter must end if the facts were wrong. The petition could be dismissed if the trial is not worthwhile.

3 CAG rebuffs Reliance on gas audit terms

Refusing the demands of the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has stated that the operators restrictive conditions for carrying out an audit for the KG-D6 offshore block impinge up the basic mandate, rights and

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Current Affairs- India(Polity)

obligations of the CAG to conduct as well as report the results of its audit to Parliament. According to the CAG, RILs conditions included that:

Audit will be restricted to accounting books and records. Audit of the years that are time barred would be subject to the consent of the operator. Audit report is to be submitted to the Ministry and not Parliament. The audit would be subjected to confidentiality arrangements between parties to production sharing contract (PSC), and the CAG would be bound not to use the information acquired during such audit for any other audit under the CAG (DPC) Act. Clarifiying its position on the audit, the CAG has stated:

We are agreeable to undertake audit under Section 1.9 of PSC on the lines we have done earlier; We are not comtemplating performance audit of the operator/s in such audit; the scope, extent and manner of audit would be as laid down under CAGs (DPC) Act and the results of audit would under the CAG act. CAG stated that Section 16 of the CAGs (DPC) Act (related to the Consolidated Fund of India) gives it an unfettered right and would override all conditions sought to be imposed on its audit process.

3.1 About CAG

The institution of Comptroller and Auditor General of India was set up to bring about transparency, accountability and probity in public life. The Institution came into existence in 1860. The importance of such an institution was realized by the then British Government immediately after they assumed power from the East India Company in 1858. The Government of India Act of 1919 & 1935 enhanced its position and in 1950 the position of the Auditor General of India was enshrined in the Constitution and redesignated as the Comptroller & Auditor General of India.

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3.2 Role of CAG
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IAAD) functioning together constitute the Supreme Audit Institution of India (SAI). Senior functionaries of the SAI representing the CAG in the states are called Accountants General. The Constitution of India has mandated the institution as the auditor to the nation. Articles 148 to 151 of the Constitution prescribe a unique role for the Comptroller and Auditor General of India in assisting the Parliament to enforce the said accountability of the Government departments. The CAG audits all receipts and expenditure of both General of State Governments, including those of body substantially financed by the government. The CAG is also the external auditor of government owned companies. The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees of the Parliament and the State Legislatures. The CAG of India is also the head of the Indian Audits and Accounts Service, represented by the offices of the Principal Accountants General/Directors General Accountants General/Principal Directors across the country.

4 Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service (DPC) Act, 1971

Under this Act, the CAG is authorized to audit the following: All receipts into and spending from the coffers (called the Consolidated Fund) of the Union and State Governments. All transactions relating to the Emergency expenses (called Contingency Funds) and relating to the money of the public held by the Government e.g. Postal savings, Vikas Patras (called Public Accounts) at Central as well as State levels. All trading, manufacturing, profit and loss accounts, balance sheets and other subsidiary accounts kept in any Government department. All stores and stock accounts of all Government offices and departments. Accounts of all Government companies and Corporations e.g. ONGC, SAIL etc.
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Accounts of all autonomous bodies and authorities receiving Government money e.g. municipal bodies, IIMs, IITs, State Health societies. Accounts of any body of authority on request of the President/Governor or on his own initiative. Power to inspect any office or organization subject to his audit. Power to examine all transactions and question the executive. Power to call for any records, papers, documents from any audited Entity. Power to decide the extent and manner of audit.

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