Previous Year Question
The Public Accounts Committee of Indian Parliament scrutinizes the
Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Consolidated Fund of India
Public Account of India
Contingency Fund of India
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
A principal function of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is to examine the Audit Reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) laid before Parliament, together with Government Appropriation Accounts and Finance Accounts. Official CAG material also states that, after being tabled in Parliament, Audit Reports are examined by the PAC/COPU.
Under Article 151(1) of the Constitution, CAG Reports relating to the accounts of the Union are submitted to the President, who causes them to be laid before each House of Parliament. Parliamentary financial scrutiny thereafter gives the PAC an important role.
Therefore, the Consolidated Fund, Public Account and Contingency Fund mentioned in options (b), (c) and (d) are not themselves the document being scrutinised in the sense asked by this question. The PAC principally examines CAG audit findings and the related Government accounts and expenditure.
A useful additional fact is that the PAC consists of up to 22 members—15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha. It is constituted annually and has a one-year term.
Thus, the key examination association is—CAG audits → Report laid before Parliament → PAC scrutinises/examines it.