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Question 17 of 60 · Constitutional & Statutory Bodies
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The duties and powers of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) of India are laid down in:

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Answer: Option B — Article 149

Detailed Solution

Article 149 of the Constitution deals with the duties and powers of the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) of India; it provides that the CAG shall perform such duties and exercise such powers in relation to the accounts of the Union and of the States as may be prescribed by a law made by Parliament.

The CAG's law:

Parliament passed the Comptroller and Auditor-General's (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act in 1971 for this purpose.

Duties of the CAG:

  • To audit all expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India and of each State, and of the Union Territories with a legislature.
  • To audit the expenditure from the Contingency Funds and the Public Accounts of the Union and the States.
  • To audit the accounts of government companies and corporations, and of bodies substantially financed by the government.
  • To advise the President on the form in which the accounts of the Union and the States shall be kept.
  • The CAG examines whether the expenditure was legal, regular, economical and proper ("propriety audit").

The office of the CAG:

  • The office is established by Article 148.
  • The CAG is appointed by the President, and holds office for six years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
  • The CAG can be removed only in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court.
  • The salary and conditions of service of the CAG cannot be varied to his or her disadvantage after appointment.

Importance:

Dr. B. R. Ambedkar described the CAG as "the most important officer under the Constitution of India", even more important than the judiciary.

The CAG is called the "guardian of the public purse".

The CAG acts as a friend, philosopher and guide of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Article 148 establishes the office of the CAG; Article 280 deals with the Finance Commission; Article 315 deals with the Public Service Commissions.

Quick tip

Remember: Article 148 = office of the CAG; Article 149 = duties and powers of the CAG (CAG Act, 1971); "guardian of the public purse".

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Constitutional & Statutory Bodies — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Constitutional & Statutory Bodies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers bodies set up under the Constitution, such as the Election Commission, UPSC, Finance Commission, Comptroller and Auditor General and the national commissions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and statutory or executive bodies such as NITI Aayog, the NHRC, the CVC, the CBI and Lokpal. Questions often ask whether a body is constitutional or not, which article creates it, who appoints its head and for how long. For example, the CAG is appointed under Article 148, the Finance Commission under Article 280, and NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in 2015 by an executive resolution. Practise the constitutional and statutory bodies questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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