MAINS 2016
GS2
12.5 marks
Exercise of CAG’s powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and the States is derived from Article 149 of the Indian Constitution. Discuss whether audit of the Government’s policy implementation could amount to overstepping its own jurisdiction.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss whether CAG auditing how policies are implemented exceeds its constitutional mandate.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Mandate: Articles 148-151; DPC Act 1971; audit of legality, regularity and propriety≈35 words
- 2Performance audit checks economy, efficiency, effectiveness, which is about implementation, not policy choice≈35 words
- 3Overreach concerns: presumptive loss figures (2G, coal) seen as questioning policy≈35 words
- 4Balance: audit implementation, not wisdom of policy; Parliament (PAC) decides≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Article 149 and DPC ActTypes of auditArguments for and againstJudicial viewConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Not distinguishing policy from its implementation
- No examples of contested audits
Draw this
- Spectrum: compliance audit → performance audit → policy evaluation (outside mandate)
Value addition
- ExampleCAG's 2G report (2010) estimated a presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore.CAG, 2010
- CaseAssociation of Unified Telecom Service Providers v Union (2014): CAG can audit revenue-sharing private telecom firms.Supreme Court, 2014
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 17 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 38 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
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