RAS question
Article 148(4) states that the CAG shall not be eligible for further office under the Government after ceasing to hold office. This ensures:
Correct answer: (C) Independence and impartiality of the CAG.
Article 148(4)'s bar on further government office after the CAG leaves office protects the independence and impartiality of the CAG.
Explanation
Article 148(4) removes a direct post-retirement incentive: a CAG who cannot take another government office has no reason to soften audit scrutiny in the hope of future employment. The clause allows the CAG to work without fear or favour and without trying to please the government for later benefits. The CAG FAQ supports the same constitutional design, saying that the Constitution enables independent and unbiased audit through safeguards such as appointment by the President, a special removal procedure, salary and expenses charged to the Consolidated Fund of India, and disallowing any other government office after the CAG's term expires. The clause therefore protects institutional independence, not administrative speed.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Efficient auditing may be a desirable outcome, but the bar on later government office is aimed at independence and unbiased conduct, not at making audit work faster or more efficient.
- (B) Quick turnover of CAGs concerns how often the office changes hands, while Article 148(4) addresses what a former CAG may hold after leaving office.
- (D) The clause says nothing about the age of appointees; it restricts further government office after the CAG ceases to hold office.
Concept
This tests constitutional safeguards for independent offices, especially the CAG as India's audit institution. It recurs in RAS because questions often ask how constitutional design protects neutrality in financial accountability.