CAG of India Signs MoUs with IIT Madras for Enhanced Auditing and Research
On February 24, 2025, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Sanjay K. Murthy, signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras). This collaboration is set to focus on critical areas including data security and governance, as well as Artificial Intelligence-driven capacity building and research in environmental audits and the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework.
During the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar lecture series held at the CAG’s office, IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti discussed the potential for collaboration between IIT Madras and the CAG, emphasizing the importance of digital technology in enhancing audit processes. CAG Murthy highlighted the transformative effect of digital trails in audits and underscored the necessity for capacity building to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in job roles.
The first MoU aims to address essential fields such as cyber security and the updating of manuals and protocol systems. It seeks to develop guidance on auditing entities that increasingly rely on digital data. In the next five years, we need to ensure that I have a set of protocols. I do all this ground work that it becomes automatic when I reach out to an institution to do an audit, what is this being asked for? What do they need to prepare themselves for? This is one big expectation that we have from this MoU,” said CAG Murthy.
Additionally, the engagement focuses on sustainable auditing. “IIT Madras has a fantastic sustainable IIT school functioning in that premises. There is a lot of work going on, and we are talking about SDGs. I think we need to build our capacities to deliver good, meaningful audits for those entities,” he added.
The objective of the MoUs is to establish a strategic collaboration between the CAG and IIT Madras to foster innovation, enhance data analysis capabilities, and contribute to technology-driven governance practices. The key focus areas include data governance and security, big data and digital infrastructure readiness, academic and research collaboration, advanced auditing practices, and joint research and development initiatives.
Furthermore, the second MoU signed between IIT Madras and the International Centre for Environment Audit and Sustainable Development (iCED), Jaipur, aims to collaborate on capacity building and research in environmental audit and ESG. This partnership will leverage Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and other technological advancements to improve the effectiveness of auditing in these areas.