Seminar
CAG-ICSSR Colloquium on State of the Finances of Manipur and Performance Audit of Select District Hospitals in Manipur
Venue: Auditorium, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal, Manipur
Date: 30 March, 2026
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), organised the Manipur Chapter of the CAG–ICSSR Colloquium Series on “State Finances of Manipur” and “Performance Audit of District Hospitals” on 30 March 2026 at Manipur University, Imphal, bringing together academicians, scholars and over 1,000 students for evidence-based deliberations on public audit findings.
In the inaugural session, Prof. Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary, ICSSR, welcomed the participants and outlined the objectives of this flagship national initiative to strengthen the interface between the CAG audit data and academic research. He further highlighted the uniqueness of the CAG data and its great potential for enhancing the research capacities of researchers, students, PhD scholars and senior social scientists.
The keynote address was delivered by Shri Calvin Harris Kharshiing, Additional Deputy CAG (North Eastern Region). He underscored the importance of CAG audits in facilitating good governance. He also emphasised the role of audit in fiscal transparency and democratic accountability. Prof. N. Lokendra Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Manipur University, offered special insights on the relevance of such engagements for regional policy discourse.
In the session on State Finances (2023–24), Shri Robert Moirangthem, Senior Deputy Accountant General, Manipur, and Prof. Damodar Nepram, Professor of Economics, Manipur University, analysed GSDP growth, high central dependence, rising debt liabilities, fiscal deficit pressures and issues of fund utilisation. The session on Performance Audit of District Hospitals was led by Shri Hari Prakash, Accountant General (Audit), Manipur, and Prof. Ningombam Jayanti, Dean, School of Business Studies, Dhanamanjuri University (DMU), who highlighted the need to address critical gaps in health financing, manpower shortages, infrastructure deficits, drug supply constraints and maternal care challenges across sampled districts.
In a special session dedicated towards encouraging the student participants to associate with the work of CAG, Shri Hemendra Singh, Assistant Accountant General, elaborated on the role of CAG in public accountability and highlighted career opportunities in IAAD through UPSC and SSC, along with the CAG–ICSSR Research Article Competition to encourage student engagement with audit data.
Students from various colleges of Manipur University and IIIT, Manipur asked thought provoking questions on different dimensions and findings of CAG audit reports presented and commented upon by the experts. The colloquium concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Dr. Ashish Deolia, Administrative Officer, ICSSR, reinforcing the importance of leveraging audit insights and social science research to strengthen fiscal governance and public service delivery in Manipur.
Photographs
To receive notifications about the latest announcements, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp , and LinkedIn.
