-The Times of India NEW DELHI: The comptroller and auditor general has started conducting secret studies, called management reports, which are not tabled in Parliament. Starting with a report on Commonwealth games (CWG), four such reports have been out. In the form of advisories, these reports are meant to forewarn the government on systematic faults and alert the departments to adopt fiscal prudence. Besides the one on CWG, the official auditor has produced...

-Frontline Corruption tends to be greater in periods when there is a state-engineered redistribution of wealth in favour of a few at the explicit or implicit expense of the many. Liberalisation is one such period. IT cannot be verified and may not be true. But, the view that the record of graft and corruption during the two-term, nine-year rule of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is the worst in India's post-Independence...

-The Indian Express As the tenure of the incumbent draws to a close, let's debate the institution's structure and powers It is time for the selection of a new comptroller and auditor general as the tenure of the incumbent draws to a close on May 22. Traditionally, the CAG has been an unseen agency, churning out audit report after audit report on every department supported by government funds every year. The last...

-The Hindustan Times As the country enters the election year, the UPA government has its task cut out in the form of legislative commitments which are looking increasingly difficult to fulfil. As many as 115 bills (excluding the finance bill) are pending before Parliament. Among these are the land acquisition and food security bills that for obvious reasons are high on the Congress-led coalition's social agenda in a poll year. Ninety-three of...

-The Times of India The present Lok Sabha could well end up with the dubious distinction of being the least productive in terms of business transacted among those that completed their full five-year terms. According to statistics compiled by the Lok Sabha secretariat, 1,157 hours of sittings had taken place until the 12th session of the 15th Lok Sabha, which was elected in May 2009. Among the Houses that completed five-year terms, the...