Populist auditor

Auditors tend to be dull and boring people, with their heads immersed in accounts. Rarely do they court publicity and even more rarely are they seen with the hip-and-happening crowd. So what is India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai, who has shown a penchant for populism and popularity with his public speeches and press conferences, doing with the likes of Shabana Azmi, Rohini Nilekani, Sunita Narain and an assortment of “media activists” and corporate bigwigs like K V Kamath and Kalpana Morparia? They are all members of a newly constituted Audit Advisory Board of the CAG’s office! Clearly, Mr Rai’s good on media strategy, even if his reports continue to raise questions!