CAG to Table Its First Integrated Audit Reports on MSMEs and Logistics in December

The CAG is a constitutional authority that audits the accounts of the Union government, all State governments and many bodies funded by them. It reports to Parliament and the State Legislatures on whether public money was spent properly and well. It is called the "guardian of the public purse". The CAG does three main kinds of audit: financial audit (are the accounts correct?), compliance audit (were the rules followed?) and performance audit (did the money achieve its goal in an economical, efficient and effective way?). The new integrated audits are performance audits done across many governments at once.

The Business Reforms Action Plan, or BRAP, is a yearly exercise in which the central government gives every State and Union Territory a list of reforms that make it easier to start and run a business. It then checks how well each State has carried out these reforms and grades them. It is run by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In simple words, BRAP is a report card for States on ease of doing business.

The National Logistics Policy (NLP) is the government's plan to make moving goods across India cheaper, faster and more reliable. While PM Gati Shakti focuses on building physical infrastructure like roads, railways and ports, the NLP focuses on the "software" of logistics: rules, processes, digital systems, skills and standards. Lower logistics costs make Indian goods cheaper and more competitive, both at home and abroad.