CAG

New CAG-Shashi Kant Sharma

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is an authority established by the Constitution of India under Chapter V, under Article 148 – 151, who 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.

 CAG is also the external auditor of government-owned companies.

 The reports of the CAG are taken into consideration by the Public Accounts Committees, 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 Service, which has over 58,000 employees across the country. 

The CAG is ranked 10th and enjoys the same status as a judge of Supreme Court of India in Indian order of precedence.

List of members who served as CAG

SL No.	Name of CAG	From -To
1	V. Narahari Rao	1948-1954
2	A. K. Chanda	1954-1960
3	A. K. Roy	1960-1966
4	S. Ranganathan	1966-1972
5	A. Bakshi	1972-1978
6	Gian Prakash	1978-1984
7	T. N. Chaturvedi	1984-1990
8	C. G. Somiah	1990-1996
9	V. K. Shunglu	1996-2002
10	V. N. Kaul	2002-2008
11	Vinod Rai	2008-2013
12	Shashi Kant Sharma	2013 6 years of tenure or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.

Constitutional development

1.    Idea of making a constitutional assembly was first given by M.N.Roy in 1934.

2.    Indian national congress demanded constitutional assembly in 1935.

3.    First time it was constituted in 1940 which was envisaged after World War II.

4.  Finally it was re constructed in 1946 under the cabinet mission plan in 1946.

5.    It had total 389 members out which 296 were indirectly elected & 93 were nominated by princely states. So it has nominated as well as elected members.

6.    Its first meeting held on Dec 9, 1946.

7.    It was boycotted by Muslim league due to which it had remained only 211 members.

8.    Dr. sacchinand the oldest member was elected 1^st temporarily head of the assembly.

9.    Later Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected president and H.C.Mukharji was elected vice president.

10.   Sir B.N Rao was elected constitutional advisor of the assembly.

11.  Objective resolution was given by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru which was the preamble of constitution.

12.    India member ship in commonwealth was ratified in May 1949.

13.    National flag was adopted in 22 July 1947.

14.       National song and national anthem were assigned in January 24 1950.

15.       Elected Dr.Rajendra Prasad as 1^st president of India.

16.       Constitution was passed in 26 November 1949 which was adopted in December 1949.

17.       The provision like citizen ship election provisional parliament was given effect from 26 November 1949 while rest constitution came into rest in 26^th January.

18.       The last session of constitutional assembly held in 24 January 1950.

19.       The temporary provision parliament even worked after republic day till general election in 1951-52.

Polity Bits

1.    Reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the House of the People is under article 330.

2.   The term of a member of Rajya Sabha  is 6 Years.

3.   Right to equality is an important right provided for in the Articles 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the constitution.

4.   Article 17 of the constitution abolishes the practice of untouchability.

5.   The right to freedom in Article 19 guarantees 6 freedoms.

6.   The right against exploitation, given in Articles 23 and 24, provides for two provisions, namely the abolition of trafficking in human beings and Begar or Forced Labour.

7.   Freedom of press has not been included in the right to freedom.

8.   Article 12-35 provides fundamental rights to Indian Citizen.

9.   Charter act of 1813 deprived the Company of its Indian trade monopoly       except for trade in tea and the trade with China.

10.  In 42nd amendment fundamental duties were added.

11. Fundamental duties don't enjoy any legal sanction.

12.         The form of the government was borrowed from England by law makers of India.

13.  The lawmakers of India have borrowed Scheme of federation from Canada.

14.  In India, a tax on Agricultural revenue can be levied by State.

15.  In India education is a legal obligation.

16.  Vice-president performs the duty of president on his / her absence.

17.  The maximum number of members of the Lok Sabha  is 550.

18.  The total strength of the Lok Sabha, When 1st general election held in India is 489.

19.  Article 71 says that the Parliament consists of President of India and the two Houses of Parliament known as Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and House of the People (Lok Sabha).

20.  The President is elected by the members of an electoral college. The Electoral College consists of elected members of both the Houses of Parliament and the elected members of the Legislative assemblies of States and the Union Territories of Delhi and Pondicherry.

21.  As per the Article 57, the President is eligible for re-election to that office.

22. In the election of president of India, MLA's of different states have different number of votes.

23. In the event of non enforcement of directive principals of the state by the government, a citizen has no right to move to any court.

24.   Under articles29 and 30, cultural & educational rights have been discussed.

25. "We" mean the people of India in the constitution of India.

26. The people of India hold the ultimate sovereignty in the Indian Polity.

27.   Legislature controls the executive in a parliamentary form of democracy.

28. On the basis of Population, the states have representation in the Rajya Sabha.

29.   In the Rajya Sabha the presiding officer is not member of the house.

30.   In Recommending creation of new all India services, Rajya Sabha enjoys exclusive right.

31. When the parliament is not in session the president can promulgate an ordinance.

32.   Cabinet Mission came to India in 1946.

33. The British Cabinet Mission of 1946 to India aimed to discuss and finalize plans for the transfer of power from the British Raj to Indian leadership, providing India with independence under Dominion status in the Commonwealth of Nations.

34. Right to vote is a Political Right.

35.   In the year 1952, the first session of Loksabha was held.

36.   President can proclaim a state of emergency under Article 352.

37.   The election commission of India established on January 25, 1950 (under Article 324 of Constitution of India).

38.   The four pillars of the Indian Constitution are Election Commission, Supreme Court (SC) of India, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

39.   The President elects appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.

40. The tenure of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners is six years, or up to the age of 65 years and 62 years respectively, whichever is earlier.

41.    The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament.

42.   The Other Election Commissioners may be removed by the President on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

43.   The maximum permissible time gap between two sessions of parliament is 6 months.

44.   Zonal council is responsible for devising the best ways to utilize available resources of States.

45.   Lok Sabha Speaker supervises the Lok Sabha secretariat.

46.   State legislative council is a permanent house of the state.

47.   A Judge of Supreme Court, who wishes to relinquish his job before expiry of his term will address his resignation to the President.

48.   A Judge of supreme court can be removed from his/her office by president on the basis of a resolution passed by  2/3 majority of Both Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha.