Outgoing Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai interacts with media at his farewell party in New Delhi. Mr. Rai demits office after changing the face of the office of the government auditor forever. Photo: PTI
In this file photo Manmohan Singh congratulates Vinod Rai after his swearing in ceremony as President Pratibha Patil looks on. Dr. Singh wouldn’t have realised then that Mr. Rai’s office would become the single biggest thorn in the flesh of his second Prime Ministerial stint. Photo: V. Sudershan
The CAG used to churn out audit reports, which were picked up only on slow news days and forgotten soon after. Under Vinod Rai, CAG reports came into limelight post its explosive report on the 2G spectrum sale. In photo Mr. Rai leaves Parliament after attending the Public Accounts Committee meeting. Photo: S. Subramanium
As report after report by the government auditor — from 2G to coalgate and MNREGA to KG basin — continued to embarrass the Congress-led UPA, it became the pet target of the party’s media managers, especially the CAG's presumptive loss figure of Rs. 1,76,000 crore in the 2G scam issue. Photo: V.V. Krishnan
An unfazed Vinod Rai continued to defend the government auditor at fora such as the Public Accounts Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam. A government proposal to make the CAG a multi-member body met with huge opposition from across the political spectrum. Photo: PTI
Vinod Rai has advocated expanding the ambit of the CAG to government bodies such as panchayati raj institutions and NGOs as well as an amendment to the CAG Act 1971 to “keep pace with the changes in governance”. In photo, Mr. Rai leaves after appearing before the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G. Photo: PTI