How did you end up as Comptroller and Auditor General of India?
I grew up thinking I would be an engineer but my father convinced me to do economics and enter the services --- he and my brother were already engineers, why have one more in the family? I switched to arts at some point but did not like it. I felt it was almost bellow my dignity, whereas I had been cut out to become an engineer. On the other hand, I still dream of painting, and resent the fact I cannot draw well!
Anyway, I spent some time in Kerala for a while, and at the Centre. I was supposed to retire at 60 but felt the energy to continue; I wanted to contribute more and did not want to sit at home. When I was asked to become the CAG of India, I thought it was a good combination of all that I had been doing in the last ten years. But I would not do this job in a stereotypical manner.

Auditors are generally seen as operating in a narrow way with blinkers. I decided to give it a wider perspective. My mission in this job is very simple. Basically, we audit the Government. World over auditing is seen as fault finding, I wanted to do it differently and rather look at things with a fresh mind, very objectively, as an outsider and help things change for the better, suggesting ways to improve the Government’s delivery mechanisms.
Money is given from Delhi to the State capital; from there it goes to the district capital where it is supposed to be dispatched to little villages. Along the way, the channel has its inefficiencies and leakages. Like sound being carried, the resources’ potential and strength decline as they go down the delivery chain, whereas the strength is obviously most required at the ground level.
So I come with a new mindset and instead of just criticizing and pointing out failures, I try to suggest new ways of doing things, of upgrading the delivery systems and plugging loopholes. That’s my mission today.

... contd.