Shri Jawahar Thakur, Controller General of Accounts went on an official visit to Bhutan from October 12-15, 2012 on an invitation extended by Mr. R. N. Khazanchi, Managing Director of PHPA Hydroprojects, Thimpu, [Bhutan]. He visited all the major components of the two mega hydroelectric projects, still in the construction phase. The immensity of the projects, the huge investments and careful monitoring of all the critical stages of the project cycle to the point of their commissioning is expected to pay rich dividends. During his visit, discussions centred upon the financial systems and controls in place in the projects due to the prodigious work put in by key finance personnel on deputation there from the organization of CGA [India]. Effective training at different levels, is one of the key drivers for meeting the challenges of good governance. The organization of CGA [India], together with its training arm, INGAF, has been providing training support to address the

professional needs of the finance and accounts personnel of the PHPA projects [and the hitherto commissioned Tala project] for the past decade. INGAF has conducted a dozen major programs on different aspects of financial management, public works accounts, risk assessment and appraisal and commercial accounts at the TALA project site at Gedu and currently the PHPA site at Lobesa. The CGA complemented the top management for ensuring that appropriate training interventions are planned meticulously to complement different developmental cycles of the projects. The Managing Director of the project thanked the CGA for visiting the projects and getting a first-hand feel of the whole working environment. He felt that this visit would work as a morale booster not only for the finance personnel but also for other key professionals working for the success of the projects.

October, 2012

Volume 1, Issue IV

Inside this issue:

Readers Feedback 2

PHPA I & II Hydroelectric Projects

4-5

Utilization Certificate Tool : a reliable watchdog

6

I take refuge in the Buddha 7

Exploring Seasonality in Rural India

10

PAO in the other Land of Opium

11

Revenue Accounting -

A New Approach 12-13

Probationers’ page 14

INGAF keeping pace

with technology 16

Post Card

A Tryst with a Coastal State

Page 14

“a bit of Civil Accounts in GNH of Bhutan”

CPSMSCPSMSCPSMS

Page 8Page 8Page 8---999

Centre Spread

Volume 1 , Is sue IV Civi l Accounts Newsletter

I read with great interest the latest newsletter of the Civil Accounts Organization. It is a pleasure reading about all the new initiatives being taken by the organization and about all the lovely experiences of participants in the courses organized by INGAF. Congratulations to the Editorial team for the wonderful initiative.

Hari Nayer

“Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” – Arthur Ashe. Congratulations to the CAO Newsletter Team for bringing out the CAO Newsletter. I am sure that this endeavour will be highly successful in reaching its objective/spirits.

Vikas Mathur

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Readers’ Feedback

Lekha The litmus for any ministry

Is in its Lekha, not history.

In guarantees, loans, expenditure through

grants

In vibrant modes of suspense till it lasts.

Evaluating and monitoring are the key

To the performance of any entity.

And by what better mode

Than the accounting code.

To peer at the economy through finance and

accountability

Small and big digits have the ability

To paint without casting aspersions any,

The pulse of the nation, but one must be wary

For any minute detail can vary

If the figures do not tally.

Sumati Nag Joint CGA

A fter the T-20 world cup, it is the on-going Champions league which has glued the people of India to their TV sets. Keeping the fever

alive, our young ICAS colleagues organized a T 20 cricket match, the first of this season with SPMCIL [Securities printing and Minting Corporation of India ltd, a miniratna company, under the Ministry of Finance] at the CSOI ground, Chanakyapuri on 27th October, 2012. From the very beginning of the match, ICAS [XI] could be seen displaying youthful exuberance. They outplayed SPMCIL [XI] in all the departments and won

the match by 50 runs. It was sheer pleasure to hear the running commentary from Krishna Tyagi and Uday Pant. Krishna Tyagi was acknowledged by the CGA as a budding talent in the field of commentary. The man of

the match was our young probationer Padamsingh Patil. As always, INGAF organized a drawing competition for young children in the lawns of CSOI. Anvi Singh and Aryan Tripathi bagged the first and second prize by splashing vibrant colours and ideas on their drawing paper. Consolation prize went to Utkarsh Singh.

The T-20 Fever

T he first few issues of the Newsletter were really appreciated but also

generated some amount of scepticism on the subject of continuity. The editorial team seems to have cracked the glass ceiling in ensuring regularity and timelines. The buoyancy and spirit of renewal that is guiding the organization is also generating stories that keeps the newsletter afloat. This issue focuses on Information Technology. Increasing use of Information Technology has changed the face of Governance in India. The organization of Controller General of Accounts has revolutionized accounts by introducing the e-payment gateway and is embarking upon a larger role through CPSMS a veritable game changer which aims

to provide a cutting edge, state of the art financial management platform to the Plan Schemes of Government of India. Rajesh Kumar’s seminal article highlights the important nuances of CPSMS and etches out its role in nation building. The Expenditure Finance Committee has already given its concurrence to the scheme giving us a reason to celebrate. A story on internet based Utilisation Certificate, a role model which can be adopted across ministries is an important step towards Green Governance. The changing paradigm of accounting structure is the subject of another important article. This issue highlights the importance of Indo-Bhutan

relations and economic and technical partnership. Our CGA visited Bhutan to review the progress of Phase I and Phase II of the PHPA hydroelectric project – the commissioning of which will have an epochal impact on Bhutan’s economy. His visit, an important milestone in the close relationship between the CGA’s organization and the PHPA management, boosted the spirit of our colleagues on deputation at important managerial positions. In addition to our regular columns and columnists, our young probationers have shared their training experiences, dabbling the pages of our newsletter with their enthusiasm and verve.

Mr. V.K. Choubey is Director Finance, PHPA,

Thimpu, Bhutan

Ms. N. Sumati is Joint Controller General of Accounts

Ms. Aastha S. Khatwani is Controller of Accounts in

Department of Science & Technology

Mr. Rajesh Kumar is Deputy Controller General of

Accounts [CPSMS cell]

Mr. Sanjay Pandey is Controller of Accounts,

Ministry of Human Resource and Development

Mr. Ajay Shanker Singh is Controller of Accounts,

Central Board of Direct Taxes

Ms. Chandan Mishra Dwivedi is Controller of

Accounts, Ministry of Finance

Sunil Choudhari is an ICAS Probationer

Madhu Sharma is an ICAS Probationer

Mr. N. Satish Kumar is a Faculty Member at INGAF

Mr. Khushal Singh Rawat is a Faculty Member at

INGAF

from the editorial room

Contributors for this issue of

Newsletter

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Civi l Accounts Newsletter

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Civi l Accounts Newsletter

T he two Projects, i.e. Punatsangchhu-I Hydroelectric Project (PHEP-I) -1200MW

and Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (PHEP-II)-1020MW are the first of the 10,000 MW initiative to be developed in Bhutan by the year 2020. These Indo-Bhutan Friendship Projects are being fully funded by the GoI in the form of Loans and Grants. Backdrop of the Projects: Rising at an altitude of ­+7000m asl in the Gasa Dzongkhag(District) of Bhutan and fed by snow/glacial lakes from the Great Himalayan Range, the rivers Mochhu and Phochhu join at an altitude of + 1200m asl at Punakha to form the Punatsangchhu which flows south to enter the Indian Plains. In Punatsangchhu basin seventeen hydro power projects with a total capacity of 8035 MW were identified in the Power System Master Plan (PSMP) of Bhutan-1993, of which two projects, Punatsangchhu-I and Punatsangchhu-II were selected for the formulation of PSMP-2003 Access to the project sites is from Wangdue-Tsirang highway. Paro is the nearest airport (about 110 km). The nearest railway station is Hashimara on Siliguri-Alipurduar Broad Gauge line of NEF Railway. The Project area can be approached from Bagdogra airport near Siliguri via Phuentsholing-Semtokha (near Thimphu) –

Dochula (about 425 km). The project area can also be approached from Gelephu. HYDROPOWER POTENTIAL OF BHUTAN

Bhutan, a beautiful mountain country covering about 340 km length of Eastern Himalayas, has a geographical area of 38,394 km² lying between latitudes 26°–45’N & 28°–10’N and longitudes 88° 45’E to 92° 10’E receives a fair amount of annual rainfall varying from 500 mm in the North to 5000 mm in the South. Altitudes of Bhutan vary from maximum of 7550 masl in the North to about100masl in the foothills in the South. The snow-capped mountains above El.4000masl and more than 650 glaciers provide perennial flow of fresh water to Bhutan’s rivers flowing North to South. Bhutan rivers flow generally through

Hydroelectric Projects of Bhutan

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Civi l Accounts Newsletter

narrow valleys and steep gradients as the country’s altitude in North-South distance of about 150 km changes by more than 7000 m. The estimated forest cover of the country is over 70%. The steep and narrow slopes in various rivers provide attractive and environment friendly sites for hydropower development most of them being run-of-the-river schemes. Few reservoir schemes are also identified with limited environment impact in the Southern belt before the Bhutanese rivers enter the Indian plains. Bhutan has an estimated hydropower potential of 30,000 MW and 120 TWH mean annual energy generation. Sofar 24,260 MW has been identified and assessed to be technically feasible. Only 1,488 MW of the feasible potential is harnessed so far. Basin-wise hydropower potential of the country and 10,000 MW capacity additions by the year 2020 are given hereunder:

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Agreements for the implementation of the PHEP-I and PHEP-II were signed between the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) and the Government of India (GoI) on 28thJuly, 2007 and 30th April, 2007, respectively. Punatsangchhu-I Hydroelectric Project Authority (PHPA-I) and Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project Authority (PHPA-II), the autonomous bodies were set-up for implementation of the Projects on 05 October 2007 and 8 June 2010, respectively. PROJECT STRENGTH The Organization is headed by a Managing Director who is assisted by a Joint Managing Director, a

Director (Finance) and a Director (Technical). The Manpower strengths directly under the Authority administration are 926 for PHEP-I and 575 for PHEP-II. The manpower deployment in the two projects together by Indian and Bhutanese Contractors is about 10,000. PROJECT PROGRESS Infrastructure Works In the initial phase PHPA has taken private buildings on rent which is 24 lakhs per month. 540 residential units for PHEP-I are under construction; for PHEP-II pre-construction activities are started. The Projects have upgraded the local Basic Health Unit to the level of a district hospital. At the same time construction of a 40-bedded hospital is going on. Additional class rooms have been added to the local school. Roads & Bridges About 40kms of approach roads to various components of the projects have been completed and are in use. Re-alignment of 4.80 km of the national Highway is under construction. Eight Temporary Bailey bridges have been constructed and are in use. A communication tunnel of 1.5km has been constructed. Construction Power Construction power requirements of the PHEP-I stand provided in full at Dam, HRT and Power House locations. For PHEP-II arrangements of providing power supply for the initial phase of construction had been made with the Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) from their existing transmission/distribution network in the area.

V.K. Choubey

Controller General of Accounts was recently in Bhutan to get

first hand experience of association of Civil Accounts

Organization in the Hydroelectric projects of Bhutan. This

article has been contributed in this very context by ICAS officer

Shri V. K Choubey, having long experience in various

hydroelectric projects in Bhutan

E ffective utilisation of allocated financial resources is one of the pillars of sound and credible public financial management system. This concept presupposes not only

that the money has been sanctioned based on sound consideration but also that thereafter is utilised for the very purpose for which it was sanctioned. Ministry of Finance has revisited the utilisation of grants on a number of occasions and suitable instructions have been issued from time to time to reinforce the resolve of the ministries/departments. General Financial Rules illuminate when ‘Utilisation Certificates’ are due for recurring and non-recurring grants, and also provide the format for obtaining Utilization Certificates from grantee bodies. Despite such clear orders, the maintenance of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) has generally been a neglected aspect of government functioning. This has invited adverse comments of Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG). Outstanding UCs have also attracted Public Interest litigation cases. The recent expenditure management orders dated 31st May 2012 reiterate the need to watch the Utilisation Certificate as per the existing rules. The Chief Controller of Accounts is mandated to ensure that the rules pertaining to obtaining of Utilisation Certificate is complied before release of further grants and is a part of pre-payment scrutiny. However, in the absence of a uniform approach, different ministries/departments have evolved their own measures to monitor Utilisation Certificates ranging from the manual registers to computer based application software. The seven Ministries under the control of CCA (HRD) have been utilising the internet based U.C software since 2007. The software has been developed in ASP with MSSQL as database. It can be run by hosting on web server and point with a domain name. The software has been designed and developed with an aim to keep track of Utilisation Certificates, sanction/bill details against the payment made to different grantees under a Ministry/Department. The software is able to generate multiple reports keeping in view the formats in which the reports are to be sent to CGA and C&AG. The reports are available Scheme-wise and Bureau-wise within a department which helps to monitor and fix accountability in case of pending UCs. The software allows access to two types of users:

Process Users (including PAO and DDO) and Other Users (including Administrator and Visitors). The DDO level user has right to add/edit master and process data. Fresh sanction can be generated by entering Sanction Number & Sanction Amount; other details can be entered by selection from drop down menu. Thereafter, bill details are entered against a valid sanction. After the bill has been passed through COMPACT, the payment details need to be entered in UC software. At the PAO level, master data as well as process data are not required to be entered. PAO can only approve/reject the sanction/bill/UCs already submitted by DDO level user. The visitors have only view-rights provided to bureau heads and head of accounting organisation in a ministry/department. Being an internet-based application this implies that under a scheme Bureau can watch pending UC status before processing bulk grants. At present the Ministries / Departments using this software are:- Ministry of Human Resource Development, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs. The UC software has helped in building and retaining database of not only pending UCs but also details of Sanctions and Bills. Given all the parameters, it is evident that the UC software is an asset in instituting effective Expenditure Management.

Sanjay Pandey

Utilisation Certificate - a reliable watchdog

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Volume 1 , Is sue IV

L ast month a group of senior civil servants from the Government of Nepal were

attached to INGAF as part of a study tour. I was given the responsibility of ferrying them to Bhopal to expose them to Rahat Lekha and to take them on a cultural and historical voyage. As per the itinerary, we were to first visit the PAO (Bhopal Gas Victims) to attend a session on Rahat Lekha Software and then proceed to the Sanchi Gateway Retreat, a cool 46 kms away from Bhopal city. Tired of the journey, we neither had the zeal nor energy to attend and appreciate the session. And then ....phew....clicked the proverbial light bulb. Why not go to the Retreat first and have the session right there in its open lawns! We reached the Retreat at seven in the evening. With the moon casting its silver glow in the lawns, the setting was perfect for the sermon (read session) with the historical site of Sanchi in the silhouette, a group of seven mortals sitting on lawn chairs of the Retreat, listening to an enlightened soul who had once worked tirelessly to develop the software for easy and timely disbursement of ex-gratia income to the victims of Bhopal Gas tragedy. Impish mosquitoes were working tirelessly to remind us of our physical existence. Next day was fixed for the visit to the extensively carved Udaygiri Caves, an early Hindu ritual site located near Vidisha, reworked under the command of Chandragupta II in the late 4th and 5th century. Our next halt was Bhimbetka rock shelters, an archaeological World Heritage site located in Raisen District, suggesting the earliest traces of human life in India from prehistoric times, a proof that even our forefathers had an inclination towards paintings. We made a quick visit to Bhojpur temple (named after king Bhoja). Legend has it that Bhoja had made a vow to build a series of dams “to arrest the streams of nine rivers and ninety-nine rivulets”. A location was found in the kingdom that allowed the king to fulfil this vow and the dams were duly built at Bhojpur. We had half a day left to visit the Sanchi Stupa, one of the oldest stone structures in India,

with a massive hemispherical dome, the stupa stood majestically. The paved procession path around it had become smooth by centuries of pilgrim's visit. What mesmerized me were the elaborate and richly carved four gateways or Toranas. The gateways with a series of dramatically rich carvings, facing different directions, revealed the birth of Gautum; the miracle associated with the Buddha as told in the Jataka tales; Gautam’s renouncement of worldly life to seek enlightenment and; the seven incarnations of Buddha. That afternoon, we left Bhopal with the Sanskrit hymn humming and resonating in our minds … ‘I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the dharma; I take refuge in the sangha’.

Khushal Singh Rawat

Civi l Accounts Newsletter

I take refuge in the Buddha

A Unique Financial Tool A Unique Financial Tool A Unique Financial Tool

for Social Sector in Indiafor Social Sector in Indiafor Social Sector in India

C E N T R E S P R E A D

P lan Schemes have had a major role to play in the development of the

country in general and as an instrument of targeted social and economic reengineering for climbing the ladder of human development index (HDI) in particular. In recent years the country has achieved substantial gains on the economic front and today it stands as the third largest economy in the world, after the United States and China, in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. However, it is the HDI ranking that still bogs down the country. India ranks at 134th position among 187 countries in the HDI report 2011, in fact worsening its own ranking at 119th position in 2010. It is not that the country has not been addressing the issues of universal coverage of health, education, gender equalitu and other basic needs of its population. But unsatisfactory progress on these fronts forces one to believe that either the resources committed for social sector have not been commensurate to the problem, or the resources have not been managed in a professional manner to get the maximum out of it. Or a more plausible explanation could be a combination of both these reasons. With economic growth the first hurdle has almost ceased to be one. Substantial allocations under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), etc. are testimony to this fact. The allocations are only going to go up considerably under the 12th Plan. However, the fact remains that the financial management of these funds leave a lot to be desired. Archaic method of fund release, expenditure reporting and accounts maintenance is the order of the day in a large number of Plan Schemes. The magnitude of the problem gets magnified when we are talking of 1200 odd Plan Schemes and Rs.400,000 Crores of annual fund devolution under them. A handful of larger schemes such as MGNREGS, NRHM and SSA have tried to put in place a relatively better financial MIS with more skilled manpower and some use of IT. However, they suffer from the problem of rediscovering the wheel every time you plan to take out your car from the garage. The learning under one scheme is seldom shared with the other. Thus, each scheme tries to give new definitions to financial and accounting terms and processes which should have been standard under ideal situations. Then there is a question of what happens to rest of the 1200 plan schemes which have no modern system of financial

monitoring and MIS, most of them small in terms of allocations but nevertheless significant for the country to achieve overall progress. The problem gets compounded when we realise that majority of funds devolved from the federal government is routed through the SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) route (or society route) thereby bypassing the State Finance Department/treasury and State Assembly. These societies (like State Health Society, District Education Society, State Employment Guarantee Council, etc.) get their funds directly from Government of India and further release funds to Districts, Blocks and Panchayats. Unlike the State treasury system, which has been in vogue since the colonial days, these societies suffer from weak internal control systems and sub-optimal accounting and financial management standards. The problem is that even if the flagship schemes are devolved to States through the treasury route during the 12th Plan period, as decided by the government, the SPVs will continue to remain the executive mechanism of programme implementation in States. Only that they will get their funds through State Government rather than directly from GOI. Financial management has remained on the margins of programme implementation in India with most of the financial management guidelines mentioning two customary lines in the scheme guidelines that the accounts of the scheme will be maintained on cash basis and money will be kept in a nationalised bank. It seems as if cash basis of accounting will solve all the problems of cash management and accounts in nationalised banks will serve the ultimate national purpose. The fact is that very few programme managers understand the time value of money. It is often remarked that even a shopkeeper gives more attention to financial management than the Government who deals with the taxpayers’ money.

C E N T R E S P R E A D

Against this backdrop the Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System (CPSMS) promises to be a game changer. For the first time the Government has provided a world-class state of the art financial management platform to all 1200 odd Plan Schemes in one go. This system not only provides a financial management solution to all programme managers at the Central level, it fulfils the wish list of each and every programme manager and user at State, District, Block and Panchayat levels. It is perhaps for the first time that a centralised public system touches the lives of so many people. In a recent visit to Noorsarai Block in Nalanda District of Bihar, I was humbled to notice the use of “CPSMS “ as a verb by the villagers. Complaining about some delay in receiving their wages under MGNREGS, they mentioned that although “CPSMS has been done” money has not reached their bank accounts (Bihar Government is awaiting 2nd tranche release from GOI and was out of funds at that time, hence the delays). It is these types of experiences that reinforce the belief that a humane technology solution, which respects the human need for information and delivers it in a manner which is discernible to the last beneficiary and not only to the bureaucratic machinery, can change the way people perceive government. It has been a constant endeavour of CPSMS to internalise all the complexities of scheme guidelines, and there are plenty of them in 1200 odd plan schemes, and simplify the user interface for the users at various levels. A simple, logical and straightforward financial management system is what is being made available to all programme managers. Being a common platform for all plan schemes, the best practices of one scheme become available to all other schemes by default. Similarly, an innovation under one scheme is shared with all other scheme managers by design. Over a period of time, this will help generate a professional manpower bank which will be well versed with the highest standards of public financial management common to all government schemes. It is becoming increasingly difficult for the CPSMS team members to ignore the requests of various State Governments to let them use the CPSMS platform to monitor and implement their own State Government schemes. Needless to say that this shows that State Governments have embraced CPSMS with open arms. Although the CPSMS is officially still in its pilot phase with four schemes to be implemented in 4 States, it has forayed beyond the pilot states. Under NRHM alone agency registration has been completed up to Panchayat/village level in 12 States. Similarly under MGNREGS and SSA it has acquired an all India character. Realising the potential of CPSMS and wide acceptance of it by the State Governments, the top management of NRHM at the national level has recently decided to adopt CPSMS as the official financial MIS for NRHM in all States and UTs. This shows the acceptance of CPSMS, a generic software for all Plan schemes, as a provider of specific solution to a complex programme like NRHM (arguably the most complex scheme of GOI in terms of its operation, types of beneficiaries and State-wise variations due to bottoms-up approach of planning and budgeting). It is this capability of the system to mould itself to the vertical requirements of individual schemes and horizontal variations in different States within the same scheme, which gives it a unique identity.

The second most important differentiator of CPSMS is its unique ability to make the capture of financial and accounting information a part of the progamme implementation process itself. All other existing financial MIS have depended on post facto data entry at the sweet will of data entry operators. Not any longer. CPSMS on full implementation will either allow e-payments, data entry for which happens before the money moves out of the bank account, or cheque validation, which ensures that if data entry for expenditure filing has not been done the cheque will not be honoured by the bank. In either case compulsory data entry (expenditure filing in the terminology of CPSMS) prior to fund movement is necessary. In other words, the Government and the people may be rest assured that information on each and every transaction of taxpayers’ money being handled by Implementing Agencies is being captured and made available for public scrutiny. The Core Banking Solution (CBS) interface of the CPSMS gives it an ability to reconcile each and every expenditure filed on the system by the Implementing Agencies with the banking transaction data received from the CBS of respective banks. The project has also provided a unique opportunity to the officers of Indian Civil Accounts Department to understand different shades of nation building and varied nuances of centre – state relations in a federal structure in which the Centre plays a leadership role by respecting the specificities and aspirations of each federal unit. The sheer exposure of the officers can be gauged from the fact that in a single sweep they deal with the panoramic canvas containing a host of social sector schemes such as the National Rural Health Mission, SSA, MGNREGS, National Livelihood Mission, etc. across all States and UTs. Very few projects can provide such a vast exposure to officers. This will help raise a generation of officers who will be singularly positioned in the Government to provide financial management solutions to ever increasing budgetary allocation to social sector in India. As of now almost 8,50,000 Implementing Agencies are registered on the system with almost 8,70,000 bank accounts. The system receives almost 12,00,000 transactions every day from the 87 banks (26 PSBs, 4 Private banks & 57 RRBs) which have got interfaced with the system. Seeing the unprecedented success of the project the Hon’ble Finance Minister in his budget speech 2012 has announced the expansion of CPSMS to cover all fund releases from the Government of India, an indication that not only Plan schemes, but even the non-Plan schemes should be monitored through the CPSMS. Taking the cue, the Modernization of Police Forces scheme of Ministry of Home Affairs has joined CPSMS as the first Non-Plan scheme. It is planned to roll out CPSMS under all Plan schemes in all States/UTs during the 12th Plan period. The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has already given its concurrence to the scheme with an outlay of Rs.1100 Crores over a period of five years. Given the interest that the project has generated from within and without the Government, Cabinet approval seems a mere formality. Best wishes to a new beginning…..

Rajesh Kumar

Page 10

S easonality is a phenomenon which we all experience in one way or the other. However, It is so much a part of

our lives, that we almost skip noticing it. The charm of ‘Summer’ vacations of childhood, the pleasure of hot masala chai in lukewarm ‘wintery’ afternoons or unexpected holiday on ‘rainy’ days are some of the typical Indian memories that have a clear seasonal connotation. Even to this day, we all have to acknowledge that delay in monsoon also means soaring electricity bills or rise in the price of tomatoes and torrential rains mean water logging of Delhi roads ! The seasonal linkages and stresses are much more pronounced in Rural India where the livelihoods of people are monsoon dependent. A good monsoon means a good year ahead, while delay in monsoon means devastation for the farmer. Rainy season is the most critical time of the year as compared to the rest of year. The farmers are required to invest in purchase of seeds and fertilizers etc. before rainy season. In case of less, or more than the optimum rainfall, their investment brings no return. Inadequate income leads to scarcity of food which forces them to take extreme steps such as selling land, migrating or indebting themselves. Children are forced to abandon school. Water borne and other seasonal diseases together with food inscecurity further compound the problems of Farmers. Rainy seasons are often synonymous with ‘Hungry Season’ experienced by the rural poor when they have least power to bargain . When the concept of seasonality was being discussed by one of the Professors during a course I attended, I was not only awakened to seasonality of life in India, but I was also challenged by a simple question - whether the simple seasonal needs of rural India are addressed to in time by the Government or not? In my quest to understand the impact of Seasonality on the lives of Indian farmers, I decided to visit a typical Indian Village and get a first-hand account. I chanced upon Hetmapur in the map of Uttar Pradesh while searching for an agrarian economy oriented typical Indian village. Hetmapur, a tiny hamlet in Suratganj Block of Barabanki District, situated on the banks of river Ghaghra, is known to get flooded every year. With this inquisitiveness, I planned my visit to Hetmapur, when it was raining in the area and river Ghaghra was flooded.

Hetmapur on the banks of River GhaghraHetmapur on the banks of River GhaghraHetmapur on the banks of River Ghaghra During my journey by road, we noticed several fields submerged in water. The rainfall was reported as scanty during that year. Flooding of fields surprised me in that backdrop. Later I learnt that the water was a result of overflowing inlets of Ghaghra, which was flooded due to opening of barrages in higher reaches of Himalaya under an Indo Nepal treaty and not due to heavy rains. As a result, the new tender saplings of rice were softened and dissolved in the flood water heated by the sun. This was a strange situation when initially the crops suffered due to less rain fall, then got flooded due to lopsided government policies. The flooded fields on way to HetmapurThe flooded fields on way to HetmapurThe flooded fields on way to Hetmapur The list of evidence of seasonality in my perspective cannot be completed without mentioning the story of Ramnarain, whom I met while going to Hetmapur. Ramnarain was attending the weekly livestock sale market to sell his pair of Bullocks which he would necessarily need for sowing the Rabi crop in 2-3 months. He had no other option but to sell his assets to meet contingent liabilities induced by monsoon. On being asked that what will he do if he is unable to purchase another pair before Rabi, he responded ‘tab dekha jayega’ meaning ‘we will see then…...’ The livestock marketThe livestock marketThe livestock market Finally I reached Hetmapur . The village was privy to all the possible problems of monsoon dependent livelihood as mentioned above. The Government support was riddled with various socio-political factors, which could be the subject matter of a separate research. However, the most promising aspect of the village life in Hetmapur was the expression of indomitable human courage in face of serious challenges posed by nature and apathetic attitude of the local government. The villagers had developed their own coping mechanisms by choosing alternative employment in neighbouring cities or doing embroidery work for the cloth merchants in nearby Lucknow. They were living their lives with full zest without worrying about future or waiting for the ‘Sarkar’ to come to their rescue. I was reminded of the good old song ‘Que Sara Sara……’ The villagers of Hetmapur gave me a perspective of life that I shall never be able to forget.

Aastha S. Khatwani

Exploring Seasonality in Rural India Exploring Seasonality in Rural India

T he Internal Audit works as an important tool to strengthen the internal control mechanisms through constant review, evaluation and appraisal. While

working in the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, I could understand the relevance of internal audit in key decision areas and its importance and potential in providing the management timely inputs to improve the operations. It supplements the functions of statutory audit as the statutory audit evaluates the adequacy of internal audit before commencement of their audit operations, thus, avoiding the duplicity of work. The internal auditors are always better placed compared to the statutory auditors as they are internal to the Department, well equipped with its working, its programmes, schemes and its overall vision. In the present set up, the officials who are posted to the Internal Audit Section, have also worked in different capacity in accounts wing or in the Ministerial sections, thus, getting wide exposure to the working of the Department or Ministry. The internal auditors also enjoy the benefit of being closer to the management for discussing the audit findings or incorporating management inputs in their reporting. My own experience with Internal Audit has thrown up several problem areas and systemic inadequacies. Internal Auditors do not work with the kind of professionalism needed to deliver relevant and updated quality inputs which would otherwise make them indispensable to the management. Despite concerted organizational effort officials are inadequately trained to handle auditing exercise. This

includes lack of knowledge of rules and regulations, policies, norms and procedures, further compounded by limitations in expression mainly because of serious language handicaps. Absence of a dedicated cadre creates lack of continuity and fails to breed professionalism. This also creates instability and the acquired knowledge/skill sets go unutilized. The output of audit parties, moreover needs to be incentivized. The possibility of passing on a certain percentage of recoveries made at the instance of internal audit to the internal audit team could go a long way in improving the performance of audit parties and motivating them to deliver quality output rather than wasting valuable resources on unproductive areas. The annual audit programs are inadequately designed and arbitrarily executed. Benchmarking of audit programmes vis-a-vis funds allocated to ensure that annual programme covers audit of 25% of total funds allocated will ensure coverage of all entities/ schemes in a period of four years. Finally, the need of the hour is to bring about a paradigm shift in the way the internal audit function is perceived within the organization. It is not a subsidiary function; rather it is a primary function. It needs to be accorded priority by ensuring a systems revamp that extensively covers training, development of incentive schemes, development of appropriate schedules and timely review of man power requirements. The organization has already made a very good beginning in that direction and we all need to ensure that the momentum is not lost.

Chandan Mishra Dwivedi

Strengthening Internal Audit—a thought

PAO in the other land of Opium

N eemuch, a small town in Madhya Pradesh is

situated at the centre of the opium cultivation

belt on the borders of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The largest producer of opium in the world, and a very

large producer of oilseeds, Neemuch is also known as

the base of the Central Reserve Police Force [CRPF] and

Opium and Alkaloid Works [GOAW].

Our Pay and Accounts Office, [GOAW], Deptt. of

Revenue, Ministry of Finance is the only PAO within the

radius of 400 km, and has been functioning since 1976

from factory premises. The highlight of the PAO office is

that with a humble strength of four officials, it has been

successfully catering to the 500 odd employees of the

factory and making payments to different agencies

without any pendency.

This small office is fully computerized with e-payment

facilities and has been running smoothly and

unobtrusively. Kudos to S.C. Gupta, the current Pay and

Accounts Officer and his small dedicated team !

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Volume 1 , Is sue IV

Know our PAO

T he Revenue of a government is generated through imposition of

taxes, levies, duties or collection of fees on services provided or realization of proceeds due to sale of assets or receipt of grant/ non-refundable funds from outside agencies. Revenue is used as a synonym for governmental receipts in the budget and accounting process of government and comes from two sources, exchange transactions and non-exchange transactions. Exchange revenues arise when a Government entity provides goods and services to the public or to another Government entity for a price. Another term for exchange revenue is earned revenue. Non-exchange revenues arise primarily from exercise of the Government’s power to demand payments from the public (for example, taxes, duties, fines, and penalties) but also include donations. The term revenue does not encompass all financing sources of Government reporting entities, such as most of the appropriations they receive. Revenues result from: Services performed by the Central Government and Goods and other property delivered to users. Present System of Tax Collection and Accounting: In India, receipts are classified under two broad categories namely tax and non-tax receipt. Tax is a sum that legislation imposes upon persons, property or activities to pay for Government operations (broadly defined to include individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, associations, companies, and corporations). The power to impose and collect central taxes is given to central government as per Income Tax Act of India. Collections that arise from the sovereign powers of the central Government constitute the bulk of governmental receipts, which are compared with budget outlays in calculating the budget surplus or deficit. Tax receipts are further classified under two categories namely direct taxes and indirect taxes. Taxes on income, profits, gifts and capital gains are some of the direct taxes whereas taxes on goods manufactured, sold, services rendered etc. are indirect tax. Income tax is generally collected on receipt of wages, salaries, honorarium, fees, commissions, perks, fringe benefits and any other form of payment received for labour services. Income from house property of individuals, capital gains and losses, interest income and dividends, profits of corporate or any form of business ventures is also taxable and receipt of tax is treated as direct tax. In India, collection of these taxes is the responsibility of Central Board of Direct Taxes through its field offices spread across entire India. Office of Principal Chief Controller of Accounts is entrusted with the responsibility of preparing, consolidating, maintaining and reporting accounts of expenditure and revenues of the department. Direct taxes are paid by assesses through banks, internet

banking, ATM and other banking channels. While making payment specifically designed challans are used to collect information pertaining to taxpayer’s identity, type of tax, period for which it is applicable, bifurcation of tax into tax and interest levied due to delay in tax payments, if applicable and account codes, as prescribed by government of India. Amount, thus collected from banks is credited to government accounts, maintained by Reserve Bank of India. The process of flow of amounts from banks and other sources to Reserve Bank of India is monitored by Pr.CCA. All challans through which amounts of tax are collected are also maintained by

Pr.CCA. Reconciliation of amounts as collected in government accounts and as reported in challans is also done by Pr.CCA. Existing Chart of Accounts: Maintenance of accounts and consolidation of accounts at fields and then at Head quarters are done by Pr.CCA as per the existing accounts code. The existing system of classification or chart of accounts in the Government of India follows a six-tier hierarchical structure. These codes depict classification of expenditure upto object head level. For the coding of revenue same pattern is followed but not up to the level of object head. Classification of collection of taxes are categorized as per the nature and type of taxes imposed. As per the existing classification of receipts, taxes on income, profits, and capital gains are collected from either individuals or corporations and other enterprises and booked under major head 0020 and 0021 respectively. Major head is a 4 digit numeric code of the chart of accounts where first digit of code depicts receipt and 20 and 21 depict type of receipt as above. Further classification below these major heads is dealt at sub-major head and minor head level. Minor heads are types of direct taxes. Various types of direct taxes collected by the Income Tax Department are classified under the following Major Heads: Corporation Tax (C.T) 0020-Corporation Tax Income Tax (I.T.) 0021-Taxes on Income other than Corporation Tax Wealth Tax (W.T.) 0032-Taxes on Wealth Gift Tax (G.T.) 0033-Gift Tax Fringe Benefit Tax * 0026 Banking Cash Transaction Tax # 0036 Fringe Benefit Tax has been abolished w.e.f. assessment year 2010-11 # Banking Cash Transaction Tax has been withdrawn w.e.f. 1st April 2009. Proposed Chart of Accounts: As per the existing coding pattern, requisite information for better decision making is not available hence it is felt that new chart of accounts shall be prepared. Sundaramurti Committee was constituted by government to come with revised chart of accounts for government operations which has dealt in great detail, the classification and reporting of expenditure. Classification of expenditure under these categories is covered in detail but same is not possible to replicate in the

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Volume 1 , Is sue IV

Revenue Accounting: A New Approach

Page 13

Volume 1 , Is sue IV

case of revenue. Therefore, similar detailing in the revenue side is needed. Accordingly vide this article, it has been attempted to capture the same keeping in mind the requirement of government of India. The proposed independent segments of the classes of structure for revenue and the intended benefits are summarized as follows: Administrative Segment: This segment shall identify the administrative responsibility for collection of revenue. It would strengthen the accountability arrangements for revenue generation by attributing each budget line to an administrative authority. Function segment: This segment is meant to classify broad category of revenue functions of Government. The existing functional classification structure has been retained the way it is in the existing coding pattern. Tax Revenue and non-tax revenue is one such classification based on function. Scheme Segment: This Segment is meant for classifying all types of taxes levied by government. The Schemes and Sub-schemes are grouped into suitable category of programmes. It is important to clarify that the term 'Scheme Category' connotes the Receipts and Public Account transactions which are represented by the 'Minor Head' of the existing List of Major and Minor Heads of Accounts (LMMHA). Contributor Segment: This segment is proposed to recognize the entities that are contributors to public funds. Such entities would include individuals and other public or private agencies. The main benefit of using this segment is that it would make it possible to assign unique codes to each such entity. With the standardization of coding, it should be possible to extract and compile information on collection of taxes from each such agency under different taxation schemes. It would also facilitate tracking of flow of taxes. PAN, TAN, CIN and other such numbers are unique numbers assigned to tax contributors or consolidators of taxes. They may be used as identifiers for tax contributors and mapped geographical zones in the country. Special segment: This segment would be used to identify receipt collected from targeted groups classified at special groups. At present at least five such requirements are identified, viz. Women (W), taxes collected from Schedule Castes (SC), Schedule Tribe, Schedule Tribes (ST), and OBC. This would enable the capturing of Budget and accounting data pertaining to emerging special requirements such as gender budgeting, budgeting for SC/ST, that are not very well catered to by the existing system. Geographical segment: The Geographic segment would identify the physical location of the transaction and allow for inter-regional comparisons of tax collection which is used for further distribution of funds among the states. This classification identifies such politico-geographical divisions as income tax ward, zones, states etc. ZAO code or PIN number may be used for this classification. With tax payment taking place through internet banking, it is very important to capture this data as identification of state of tax collection is important for distribution of tax collected. Description of Proposed Chart of Accounts for Tax Revenue: For proper accounting, tax data needs to be collected and captured for basic unit of collection i.e. taxpayer. Ledger shall be created for each tax payer and same shall be maintained for a longer period to reflect the accounting history of tax payments. Thus basic unit need to identification code of tax payers. Currently it PAN or TAN or CIN number depending upon the nature of taxpayer eg. individual taxpayer, corporate or government entity deducting tax at source and remitting it

on behalf of tax payers. It is a 10 digit alpha numeric code which is unique to tax payers and quite acceptable and popular, hence same may be taken for accounting purposes also. Geographic details of taxpayers are not properly covered through these numbers as these numbers are portable and taxpayer has the liberty to pay taxes from any centre by retaining the same number. Tax payment Challan contains geographical details of the taxpayers which may be captured using 6 digit pin code, ward number or atleast state code. This is handy while allocating funds to the states, out of tax collected as per the mechanism prescribed by the Government vide recommendations of Finance Commission. In the case of individuals, data of gender may be available in PAN which may be derived using single digit code else it may be captured from the challan to populate master database. For corporates, there is requirement to have data on nature of business being carried out by them. This may be derived from the database of corporates available with Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). Other information, such as religion, social status (OBC, SC, ST) of assessee, gender, type of income (salary, honorarium, fee, gifts etc.). Further the code of types of taxes similar to coding followed for taxes on payroll, profits, dividends etc. by IMF as prescribed in Government Finance Statistics Manual 2001 may be adopted. Some of the heads could be: Taxes on payroll and workforce (xxx): This category consists of taxes that are collected from employers or the self-employed either as a proportion of payroll size or as a fixed amount per person and that are not earmarked for social security schemes. Payments earmarked for social security schemes are classified as social security contributions (121). Taxes on income from house property (xxy): This item includes taxes on the use, earning of residential property. Taxes on immovable property that are levied on the basis of a presumed net income are recorded as taxes on income, profits, and capital gains. Taxes on the use of property for residence, where the tax is payable by either proprietor or tenant and the amount payable is a function of the user’s personal circumstances, such as pay or the number of dependents, are treated as taxes on income, profits, and capital gains. Taxes on construction, enlargement, or alteration of all buildings, or those whose value or use density exceeds a certain threshold, are included in taxes on use of goods and on permission to use goods or perform activities (xxz). Taxes on income, profits, and capital gains generally are levied on (i) wages, salaries, tips, fees, commissions, fringe benefits, and other compensation for labor services; (ii) interest, dividends, rent, and royalty incomes; (iii) capital gains and losses, including capital gain distributions of investment funds; (iv) profits of corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, estates, and trusts; (v) taxable portions of social security, pension, annuity, life insurance, and other retirement account distributions; and (vi) miscellaneous other income items. Taxes and classification at Minor head and sub head level in the existing chart of accounts may be followed. Existing Chart of Accounts deals with types of taxes captured in 15 digit numeric codes with broad classification under tax and non-tax revenue below which it covers. Taxes on Income and Expenditure to be retained in chart of accounts are the codes at minor head (3 digits) and sub-head (2 digits).

Ajay Shanker Singh

A s part of the training of probationers at NIFM, I got the opportunity to visit Malaysia for an

international attachment. It was a two weeks’ attachment from 10th – 21st September, 2012. For me, it was the first trip abroad, so my excitement level was very high and same was the situation of many other participants. There are many “M” words that can be used to describe Malaysia one of the Asian Economic Tigers. Words like multi-cultural, multi-ethic, multi-lingual, mysterious, mystical, magnificent and magical can all be used to describe this relatively young nation of 25 million people. It is one of the few countries in Asia that has three major races, Chinese, Malays and Indians, in significant numbers. In fact, it is this diversity that makes“Malaysia Truly Asia”. The venue of our attachment was University Utara Malaysia (UUM), which is located in the northern part of Malaysia some 400 k.m. away from Kuala Lumpur. The lush green campus of UUM with its state of the art modern learning as well as sporting facilities attracts students from all over the world especially from China, Middle East and Arabian countries. Learning about Accounts, Finance, Audit and Taxation system in Malaysia was an interesting and enriching experience. Apart from class room learning, we had sufficient time to explore the nearby areas of this beautiful country. There are many eye-catching sites in this beautiful country which no visitor can afford to miss. Kuala Lumpur, formerly a tin mining town, has prospered to become a show piece of grandeur and progress. The world’s second tallest buildings, the 88 stories “Petronas

Twin Towers”, are located in this bustling metropolis. This city of 1.5 million people manages to preserve its historical heritage with a well coordinated development. So it is not surprising for visitors to find colonial architectural wonders among the glittering skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur Batu Caves, has a series of caves and cave temples, 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. Batu Caves is said to be around 400 million years old. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. A trip to the Batu Caves reveals the deep ties and cultural interface between India and Malaysia. Genting highlands is another tourist attraction centre in Malaysia. It is nestled on a mountain peak and is accessible by a cable car called Genting Skyway (3.40 km). The thirty minute ride on the cable car is a thrilling and breathtaking experience. Genting Highlands is also known as the ‘Fun City above the Cloud,’ a special place for those who are interested in adventure sports. It also reflects on the casino culture of Malaysia.. Langkawi Island is another ‘must visit’ place! It is an archipelago of 104 islands in the Andaman Sea, some 30 km off the mainland coast of northwestern Malaysia. Being a duty-free island, it is also known as the Shopper’s Island. Island hopping and the clean, beautiful and attractive beaches together with the underwater world at Langkawi creates unforgettable memories for visitors. Langkawi reflects the flourishing tourist economy of Malaysia. Without visiting Penang, visit to Malaysia remains

incomplete! Penang Island is the second smallest Malaysian state but one of the most developed and economically important states in the country. It is also a thriving tourist destination. Its heterogeneous population is highly diverse in ethnicity, culture and language. There is a place called ‘little India’ because of a large number of Indian origin people and it provides a feel of being in India away from India. It is also a place where one can get a taste of Indian food, which is generally missing in other parts of Malaysia. One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrariness. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several meters away from ancient reefs. A fascinating fusion of tradition and modernity, Malaysia's architecture today is a reflection of Asia's many styles, cultures and religions. These influences include Hindu-Indian, Arab-Muslim, Chinese and European. The country embraces an independent modern Malaysian vision whilst staying true to its rich culture and heritage. The most important factor, which makes Malaysia truly incredible, is its disciplined and friendly citizens!. They also have high regards for Indians. I would like to end by saying that Malaysia Adalah Sebuah Negara Yang Menarik (Malaysia is wonderful country) - Terima Kasih [thanks] to the Indian Civil Accounts Organization and NIFM for giving me this opportunity!

Sunil Chaudhari

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Civ i l Accounts Newsletter

Probationers’ Page

Fascinating Malaysia

A tryst with a Coastal State

O bserving what goes on around us and be able to derive inspiration from it and thinking of

working on development issues has been a motivating force all through my days of yearning to be a civil servant and writing exams and finally making it. So it brings the green energy out and sparks vibrant fervor deep inside when we are taken for official attachments. We were to study the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA) and where? “God’s own country”: Kerala, a pristine beautiful state, lush with picturesque sceneries, and exemplary for the entire nation for its’ literacy and much more. We were about to live and observe it for five days and I could not be more excited. The flight to Cochin added to our stimulation in the form of literal thunderstorms, lightening and a landing amidst thumping hearts. We took a bus from Cochin, and lodged at a hotel in Ernakulum. Our first visit was to be with the District Collector the next day and then we were to visit and inspect the functioning of MNREGA. But somehow the meeting didn’t materialize and a visit to Cochin Port was arranged for us. Riding in the hired steamer, we shook hands with the meeting point of Periyar river backwaters and Arabian sea and had our own “De-Caprio’s ‘The Beach’ feeling on our way to visiting the newly built Vallarpadam International Container Trans shipment Terminal there. The zooming water around our steamer and the magnificence of the Sea were a sight to behold. We also visited the church of St. Francis afterwards which is named after the Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. And having purged ourselves in the holy airs of the church we ended up in a local market buying some

exotic local spices. We moved to Thrissur district from there and the bus ride was a journey in itself in terms of the bright colored houses and greenery along the road, reaching the horizons and engulfing the serene sky. We went for our first field visit to the paddy fields and interacted with workers, officers and Panchayat members and got to know how fallow land is converted into productive one which in turn aids in excess food production. 95% of the workers there were females emphasizing the role of women empowerment in economic growth. Then we visited an Irrigation Canal Project and inspected how workers and their records are managed. We were invited to the District Panchayat office afterwards where we learned about future programs under MNREGA. I believe this can be a role model for MNREGA’s countrywide in terms of the high female employment rate. The next morning, we woke up early and donned traditional attires to offer prayers at the famous Guruvayur temple. The prayers and the magic in the temple energised us. Later that evening we stopped at the majestic Malampuzha Dam near the Western Ghats. The zephyr had us singing to the beat of the dancing rains. It was a luminous moment, the memory of which will endure and make us nostalgic in the times to come.

Madhu Sharma

Volume 1 , Is sue IV

Post Card

Page 16 Volume 1 , I ssue IV

T here has been a considerable shift in the learning paradigm due to the introduction of technology and newer methods of imparting education. New technologies are being gradually integrated into

the learning environment. Networking and internet are being used as cost-effective tools for improving learning opportunities for students, faculty development, supporting professional development, increasing productivity of members of the learning community and improving the efficiency of educational institutions, and administration. Institute of Government Accounts & Finance (INGAF), the training arm of Ministry of Finance, in its constant endeavor to provide quality training in the field of Information Technology has recently upgraded its training facilities to international level. The institute is equipped with state of the art computer labs with a high speed wireless internet facility which provides uninterrupted internet connectivity to the entire institute. The conference hall is equipped with the modern interactive boards and ultra-short throw interactive projectors. INGAF also has Wi-Fi connectivity in its guest rooms and lounge area to address the needs of trainees and guest faculty. INGAF is already in the process of developing an integrated software through which the training needs of our organization would be consistently monitored. In addition, each trainee will be allotted a unique identification number through which the entire history of

training undertaken by the individual during his professional life will be tracked. The software’s ability to track the training requirements of an individual will go long way in enhancing the IT capabilities of the organization and also its HR management. INGAF is in the process of exploring the possibility of setting up a Multimedia Training Centre for facilitating Distance Learning Programs. In order to keep pace with the changing environment INGAF, apart from its regular programs, is exploring the possibility of targeting those trainees who are new to the IT environment or who shy away from it for want of basic knowledge of computers. A platform geared towards empathetic e-learning should be able to banish their technology phobia. Technology will continue to change how we live, how we interact and how we work. Using Technology will provide increased access to online resources; provide more opportunities for co-operative and collaborative projects. Finally, technology enables the participants not only to attend the training from distant places, but information can be communicated real time or archived. By allowing videos and other multimedia presentations linked to texts, participants can learn at their own pace, be tested at their own pace and advance at their own pace – which for some would be much faster than others while for others it will give them the time they need to absorb the information and become more educated than ever before.

N. Satish Kumar

Page 16 Civ i l Accounts Newsletter

INITIATIVES

Civil Accounts Newsletter is published by office of the Controller General of Accounts

Ministry of Finance, Department of Expenditure, Government of India

Editorial TeamEditorial TeamEditorial Team

Sujata Prasad, Akhilesh Jha, Satish K. Jadhav, Supriya Nath, Rakesh Babbar, Girish Bhatnagar

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INGAF—keeping pace with technology…..