CAG offers AI, data analytics training to global audit institutions

CAG K Sanjay Murthy offered specialised training in AI, data analytics and cybersecurity to fellow audit institutions during bilateral meetings at an international conference in Ha Noi

India's national auditor has offered fellow Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) participation in its specialised training programmes in data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, and conveyed its willingness to depute experts to Cambodia.

 

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) K Sanjay Murthy, who also chairs the Asian Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI), made the offers during bilateral meetings with the heads of the SAIs of Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Greece. The meetings were held on the sidelines of an international conference in Ha Noi, according to a statement issued on Friday.

 

Murthy noted that the value of audit lies in its contribution to improved governance, effective public financial management and better outcomes for citizens.

 

The training on offer includes a nine-month online certification programme and a six-week foundational programme, designed to equip auditors from diverse professional backgrounds with practical skills in emerging technologies.

 

SAI India also conveyed its willingness to depute experts to Cambodia for training in data analytics and AI, and to share expertise with Viet Nam in railway audit, IT audit and digital transformation. Cooperation in environmental auditing and other emerging areas was also explored.

 

“These engagements reaffirmed SAI India's commitment to fostering professional cooperation and strengthening institutional capacities of fellow SAIs through knowledge sharing, specialised training and technical assistance,” the statement added.

 

The conference, "Supreme Audit Institutions in a Changing World: Vision, Institutional Framework and Innovation", was hosted by the State Audit Office of Viet Nam. Murthy stressed institutional independence, a strong legal mandate and professional integrity as the basis of credible public audit, and called on SAIs to anticipate emerging risks and modernise audit methodologies.

 

He set out three prerequisites: a strong legal mandate for access to government data; trustworthy digital evidence backed by safeguards for information security and confidentiality; and institutional mechanisms to collect, integrate and analyse data across public authorities.

 

Murthy also joined a panel discussion with the heads of the SAIs of Greece and Malaysia and representatives from Egypt, China, Singapore and Pakistan on the changing responsibilities of SAIs and the need for institutional adaptation, innovation and international cooperation.

 

“Reiterating the institutional independence of SAIs, he noted that their role is not to substitute their judgement for that of elected governments or public administrators, but to provide independent, objective and credible evidence to enable those entrusted with governance to discharge their responsibilities more effectively,” the statement noted.