Auditing Public Accounts: Reflections on my experience as a member of Public Accounts Committee

2017 Aug 22, Tuesday
Classroom 616, Pixel B, Azim Premji University

About the Lecture

Comptroller and Auditor General of India is a constitutional institution that ensures accountability to Indian citizens by reporting to their elected members through numerous audit report on governmental expenditure. Once tabled CAG of India reports enter public documents and are taken up for further discussion by Public Accounts Committee of Parliament and State Legislatures. In this lecture, a former member of Indian parliament reflects on the working of Public Accounts Committee and underlines why constitutional institutions are extremely important for the health of parliamentary democracies. 

About the Speaker

Sandeep Dikshit has been involved in public policy and grasroots governance for more than twenty five years – as a Member of Parliament, human development researcher and work along with voluntary agencies and organisations in the non-government space. He has spent nearly fifteen years in the field with voluntary organisations, and action research studies in northern, central and western India, primarily in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. These years have given him intensive field experience and knowledge of challenges facing India, especially agriculture, rural non-farm sector, and urban development.Sandeep Dikshit has more than ten years’ experience in mass politics elected for two consecutive terms (2004-2014) to the Lok Sabha from East Delhi. He was Chief Whip of Indian National Congress Party from 2012-2014. Sandeep headed the Research Cell for the Indian National Congress and is also the National Spokesperson of the party.He was a member of the Public Account Committee (PAC) for fourterms and Member of the Consultative Committee on Environment and Forests from 2009 to 2014, and on Industries and Public Enterprises 2004 to 2009.