New Comptroller and Auditor General of India

Union Government has appointed former Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi as new Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

Mehrishi, a 1978-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, will replace SK Sharma, who is retiring on September 24.

Mehrishi retired on 31st August from the post of Home Secretary after serving a period of two years.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is an authority, established by the Constitution under Article 148, which audits all receipts and expenditure of the Government of India and the state governments, including those of bodies and authorities substantially financed by the government.

The CAG is also the external auditor of Government-owned corporations and conducts supplementary audit of government companies, i.e., any non-banking/ non-insurance company in which Union Government has an equity share of at least 51 per cent or subsidiary companies of existing government companies.

The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees (PACs) and Committees on Public Undertakings (COPUs), which are special committees in the Parliament of India and the state legislatures.

The CAG is also the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department, the affairs of which are managed by officers of Indian Audit and Accounts Service, and has over 58,000 employees across the country.

The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 – 151.

The CAG is ranked 9th and enjoys the same status as a judge of Supreme Court of India in Indian order of precedence.

The CAG can be removed only on an address from both house of parliament on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. The CAG vacates the office on attaining the age of 65 years age even without completing the 6 years term by impeachment also.