-The Indian Express The Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai told a meeting of the World Economic Forum that the “brazenness” with which government decisions were being taken is “actually appalling”. A day before that, he had told students in Shillong that the “suffering majority had begun to speak up”. In times when corruption is the central issue and the government evidently suffers from a credibility deficit, the statements...

-The Times of India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has turned down suggestions from both Left and BJP leaders on considering changes in the appointment process of the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), while replying to a letter from CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta on November 5. The PM, however, is open to changes in the appointment, resignation and removal process of election commissioners, including the chief election commissioner, as part of electoral...

-The Hindustan Times The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) should be given constitutional status empowering them with appropriate autonomy and independence to make them effective instruments for fighting corruption, Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai said on Wednesday. “If you really want some of these institutions to deliver, you must take a risk and ... take courage to make them constitutional,” he said, while speaking...

-The Economic Times The trend in Plan spending so far is disheartening. Actual expenditure during the first five months of the current fiscal year amounted to about 28% of the budgeted spending of Rs 5,21,025 crore for this fiscal - the lowest proportion recorded over the last five years. Ministries and departments are said to be willing to surrender unspent money, rather than take decisions that they fear could be questioned by...

-The Economic Times Buffeted by a series of big-ticket scams, the Government is readying to sponsor sleuths and vigilance officers to the world's first Master's degree in anti-corruption studies, being launched in Vienna this December. The department of personnel and training has written to all ministries, state governments, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Central Vigilance Commission, informing them that the government is willing to fund the candidates for International Anti-Corruption Academy's...