Background

The Institute of Public Auditors of India (IPAI) was established in 1996 as a Registered Society with its headquarters at the AGCR Building, I.P. Estate, New Delhi-110002. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India is the Patron of the Institute. The President and Vice President of IPAI are former Dy. CAG and Director General of Audit respectively.

Objects

The Institute has the following main objects:

  • Establishment of sound accounting, auditing and other financial management practices in maintaining Public Funds.
  • Dissemination of latest trends and technologies in the field of accounting and auditing specifically and in that of sound Financial Management.
  • Rendering consultancy and advisory services to improve the systems related to financial management.

It functions as a ‘Not for Profit’ society.

Credentials

The membership of the Institute is open to officers of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department – both in active service as well as those who have retired; and also of other Accounts and Finance services of Government of India, of the Indian Revenue Services, of Senior Corporate Executives, of Senior Academics – at Professor and Associate Professor Levels in reputed Institute in the discipline of Finance, Accounts and Audit, Academics dealing with training, MBAs from IIMs and other equally reputed Institutes working at Senior Levels and professionals like Company Secretaries, Cost and Works Accountants and Chartered Accountants in Public Sector Undertakings are also eligible for membership.

Talent Pool

IPAI has a large pool of experienced professionals as its members who could be sourced for advice and consulting on all matters falling within the wide spectrum of public sector financial, accounting and auditing functions and activities. Members of the Institute are highly qualified and have wide administrative experience in these areas as well. Though its prime expertise is in the realm of internal and external auditing including performance audit of social welfare programmes and in monitoring and evaluation of projects and schemes; it has also been providing consultancy services in related areas as well. IPAI has, among its members, officers who have held the positions of Deputy/ Additional Deputy CAG, Secretaries to the GOI, Financial Advisers, Principal Accountants General of States and Members of Audit Boards etc. Many of the members have had significant international experience in their areas of specialization and have worked for United Nations affiliated organizations. They have also worked in many Ministries and Departments of Union and States as also in Public Sector Bodies.

Regional Offices

The membership, which is presently more than 2300 is spread over eighteen regional branches and local chapters, spread all over the country viz Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna, Ranchi, Shimla, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram. Each Chapter is equipped to undertake consultancy assignments and organize training programmes. The Institute has a close liaison with the office of the CAG of India and various Central and State Government organizations in pursuance of its objectives.

International Exposure

Our members have had long exposure to International Environment of working being on deputation to various organisations like International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), United Nation (UN) and Asian Development Bank (ADB). The members of the Institute have regular contact with International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSI) and Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI).

Performance

Consultancy is a major area of activity of the IPAI. The Institute has successfully executed many advisory and consultancy assignments with Government of India, State Governments, Local Authorities and International Bodies. Some of the organizations involved were as under:

  • Ministry of Panchayati Raj,
  • Ministry of Human Resource Development,
  • Ministry of Rural Development,
  • Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation;
  • Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas;
  • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare;
  • Comptroller and Auditor General of India
  • Central Government Organizations such as CAPART, CSIR , ICAR, Planning Commission;
  • The international bodies like the DFID, World Bank, the UNICEF; World Commission on large Dams,
  • Public Sector and Autonomous Bodies including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), Delhi Development Authority (DDA); New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Prasar Bharti;
  • Various State Governments including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Some of the projects undertaken by the Institute include financial monitoring and review of socio-economic programmes (e.g. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, National Rural Health Mission, National aid Control Organisation, Reproductive Child Health Programme, Jan Shiksha Sansthan, etc.) funded by Central Ministries/ States, audit and evaluation of infrastructure schemes, devising of different subject manuals for state governments and a few central organizations, investigations into suspected frauds in establishments, formulation of accounting procedures in autonomous bodies, internal audit of organizations. Recently, IPAI developed States specific Accounts, Budget & Audit & Training Manual for Panchayats – a total of 105 manuals and the work was completed within a period of six months.

Research and Publications

IPAI has a Technical & Research Committee whose functions include promoting research activities and supporting research initiatives and technical papers by members of the Institute. It published findings based on two research projects relating to the issue of CAG’s audit regulations and writing the history of the Indian Audit & Accounts Department 1990-2007. IPAI has published a book on “Contemporary Issues in Public Accountability and Audit” which is an attempt to inform and carry forward the current debate on the important subject of Public Accountability and audit. A study on “Implementation of Budget announcements by the Government of India in the budgets for the years 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07” was also published. IPAI is contemplating a research project on assessing the comparative financial strength of various States based on the data available in the audit reports.

IPAI and its regional chapters periodically hold seminars and workshops on topics of contemporary interest in public finance. Recent seminars covered a wide-ranging subjects such as public auditing, good governance and accountability, social audit, expenditure management and exchequer control, reforms in public audit, development initiatives in voluntary sector in partnership with government and international organizations etc.

IPAI brings out a periodical Journal entitled “Indian Journal of Public Audit & Accountability” which is a fund-house of professional articles contributed by practitioners of public finance. A recent journal was devoted to issues relating to implementation of Panchayati Raj in India. IPAI also brings out a periodic news letter on the activities of the Institute and other general information for the benefit of its members.

Training Initiative

An area of interest to IPAI is training and capacity building in public accounting and auditing. In pursuance of this objective, the Institute has chosen ‘accounting and auditing of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) as a major area for development, and has conducted several training programmes in this area for the benefit of serving PRI officials in the States of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh.