INDIA: Latest IT Developments and IT projects

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is undergoing a significant digital transformation to enhance its auditing capabilities and adapt to the evolving technological landscape.

Transforming India's Audit Landscape: The OIOS Initiative

SAI India is transforming the way audits are carried out by implementing the One IA&AD One System (OIOS), a major initiative launched in November 2020. OIOS is an advanced digital platform and an enterprise-wide end-to-end IT application. It is a web enabled solution aimed at making the entire audit process digitalized and easy to monitor in real-time. Implementing OIOS institution wide has brought about a substantiql reduction of paperwork and standardized processes across the SAI India's more than 120 offices with about 45000 staff.

OIOS includes a centralized knowledge repository that stores past audit reports, case studies, and results of data analysis, which auditors can use as a helpful reference.

This system is a big step forward in making government audits faster, more accurate, and more accountable.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Recognizing the transformative potential of AI and ML, SAI India is building the necessary infrastructure and processes to harness these technologies in auditing processes. This includes developing capabilities to audit AI applications themselves, ensuring that emerging technologies are subject to rigorous oversight.

A High Performance Computing server at the Centre for Data Management and Analytics (CDMA), SAI India has been installed. The HPC comprises of powerful multi-node architecture with dual Xeon processors which enables rapid processing and analysis of large and complex datasets. The dedicated GPU compute node allows for faster training and deployment of AI/ML models, supporting advanced analytics and automation. The integration with high capacity Ethernet switches ensures low-latency data transfer across nodes, essential for parallel computing and efficient task distribution. The system offers storage space of 58.2 TB which is expandable up to 150 TB with fault tolerance and a hot spare drive.

SAI India actively uses AI and ML in its Audits to leverage the technological advantage for better audit outcomes and analysis. SAI India reports have used AI/ ML technology in assessing the Plantations executed by the Forest Department (Species Identification, Tree count etc), facial recognition on scheme beneficiaries to avoid duplication, ML algorithm in Procurement audits and extensive digital image processing of Satellite images. In order to strategize the integration of AI and ML in SAI India, “AI Strategy Framework” document was recently released.

Strategic Collaborations with premier Institutions in India

To enhance the use of technology in audits, SAI India has partnered with premier Indian institutions like India Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, IIT Delhi, and Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geoinformatics (BISAG-N). These collaborations aim to use emerging technologies like AI/ ML, Data analytics and GIS/ Remote Sensing to enhance the audit process and enable the auditing of AI systems themselves. The strategic partnerships focus on capacity building, knowledge sharing, and innovation, ensuring that the Indian auditing practices stay up to date with global standards. A Diploma Certification course on “AI, Data science and Cybersecurity Audit” has been started for the officials of SAI India as a measure of Capacity building and grooming the officials to meet the modern age challenges.

By combining technological advancements with institutional expertise, these initiatives are set to redefine the future of public auditing in India, contributing to more efficient and transparent governance.