Shashi Kant Sharma appointed as new CAG

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Shashi Kant Sharma was appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Tuesday replacing outgoing Vinod Rai. Sharma previously held the post of Defence Secretary. 61-year-old Sharma, an IAS officer from 1976 batch of Bihar cadre, has earlier assumed various important offices during his tenure as Secretary in the Department of Financial Services and has spent over 10 years in the Defence Ministry in various capacities. "The President of India has appointed Shashi Kant Sharma, IAS, as the Comptroller & Auditor General of India, in terms of Article 148 (1) of the Constitution of India," the Finance Ministry said in a statement. He will be administered the oath of office by President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday. Sharma, who holds a Masters degree in Political Science from the University of York, will take charge as Comptroller & Auditor General on May 23. As Rai prepares to demits the office on Wednesday after holding the post for five-and-half year tenure, he strongly defended the reports including on 2G spectrum allocation during his term that had triggered a number of controversies and raised the hackles of the government, and bringing in the concept of presumptive loss in audit. The CAG is appointed for a term of six years or till the incumbent attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. He says at no time during the turbulent days the thought of quitting came to him when he was attacked from several quarters. Targeted by those in government as exceeding the mandate by going into policy formulations, he makes it clear that by nature audit has an adversarial function and it cannot praise government policies. "All PPPs, PRIs and ULBs (Urban Local Bodies), societies, etc should be brought under the CAG," Rai, who turns 65 tomorrow, said in a wide-ranging interview. (With PTI Inputs)