Author: ForumIAS

The presentation of the Union Budget has been advanced by a month, from last date of February to first date of February. The objective is to have the Budget constitutionally approved by Parliament and assented to by the President, and all allocations at different tiers disseminated to budget-holders, before the financial year begins on April… Continue reading Shifting Budget presentation date

Railway Budget has been separated by General budget based on the Acworth Committee recommendation on 1921. The Government has decided to merge Rail Budget with the Union Budget from budget year 2017-18. The merger of Railway Budget with General Budget is based on the recommendations of the Committee headed by Shri Bibek Debroy The salient… Continue reading Merger of Railway Budget

Article 148 to 151 deals with the CAG of India. The CAG is an independent body. He audits all the expenditures of union and states and ascertains whether moneys shown in the accounts as having been disbursed were legally available for and applicable to the purpose for which they have been used. Therefore, indian auditing… Continue reading Comptroller and Auditor General of India

The functions of the committee are: To examine the reports and accounts of public undertakings To examine the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General on public undertakings To examine (in the context of autonomy and efficiency of public undertakings) whether the affairs of the public undertakings are being managed in accordance with sound business… Continue reading What are the functions of Committee on Public Understanding?

The function of the committee is to examine the estimates included in the budget and suggest ‘economies’ in public expenditure. Its major functions are: To report what economies, improvements in organisation, efficiency and administrative reform consistent with the policy underlying the estimates, can be affected To suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency… Continue reading What are the functions of Estimates Committee?

Public Account committee It examines the report of the CAG to see that public expenditure must not exceed the appropriation granted by parliament without its prior approval and the grant is utilised for the purpose for which it was sanctioned by parliament. PAC satisfy itself about the wisdom, faithfulness and economy of the expenditure incurred.… Continue reading What are the functions of Public Account committee?

It is a part of parliamentary control over administration as finance is the focus of accountability. Parliament exercises this control over public finance in three ways: Budget itself, Parliamentary Committees such as Public Account committee, Estimates Committee, Committee on Public Undertaking and Auditing through CAG.

The Constitution authorised the Parliament to establish a ‘Contingency Fund of India’, into which amounts determined by law are paid from time to time to meet any unforeseen expenditures. The fund is held by the finance secretary on behalf of the President. In an emergency situations President can meet the expenditure and get the approval… Continue reading What is Contingency Fund of India?

All other public money (other than those which are credited to the Consolidated Fund of India) received by or on behalf of the Government of India shall be credited to the Public Account of India. This includes provident fund deposits, judicial deposits, savings bank deposits, departmental deposits, remittances and so on. Government of India is… Continue reading What is Public Account of India?