The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), through its Public and Government Financial Management Committee (PGFMC), signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), a premier Research and Training Institute under Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Govt. of India, to strengthen governance, financial accountability, and municipal accounting practices in Municipalities. The MoU shall be effective for a period of three years from July 21, 2026.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Minister of State for the Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space and Chairman of the IIPA Executive Council; Dr. Surendra Kumar Bagde, IAS, Director General, IIPA; CA. Prasanna Kumar D, President, ICAI; along with senior representatives from IIPA and ICAI.
The MoU aims to undertake joint research, policy studies, training programmes, workshops, and knowledge-sharing initiatives, while providing technical and advisory support to strengthen municipal accounting, financial management systems, and capacity building for Municipalities.
On this occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon'ble Minister, appreciated the initiative and said that "We are living in an era where digital transformation has made data-driven reporting and evidence-based decision-making indispensable for effective governance. Through this MoU, ICAI and IIPA will collaborate to promote research and knowledge development, strengthen capacity building and training, and provide technical and advisory support for advancing municipal accounting and financial management reforms".
Dr. Surendra kumar Bagde, IAS, Director General, IIPA said that "Municipal accounting is the primary step towards municipal reforms".
CA. Prasanna Kumar D, President, ICAI said that "This MoU will bring together the strengths of the two institutions (ICAI & IIPA) to strengthen municipal accounting, modernise financial management practices, and build the institutional capacity of municipalities to deliver transparent, accountable, and citizen-centric governance".
CA. Hans Raj Chugh, Chairman, PGFMC, ICAI said that "This collaboration is a catalyst for strengthening the capacity and competencies of Municipalities by supporting reforms in municipal accounting and financial management".
Prof. V. N. Alok from IIPA said that "Municipal accounting reforms has been advocated for long and emerged as the priority for data driven accountable government".
Through this strategic partnership, it is expected to contribute to the development of stronger, financially resilient, and citizen-centric Municipalities, thereby advancing the broader objectives of good governance and sustainable urban development.
CAclubindia
