Audit Reports
Scientific Department
Report No. 27 of 2014 - Compliance Audit on Union Government (Scientific and Environmental Departments)
Overview
This report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG) relates to matters arising from compliance audit of the transactions of nine Scientific and Environmental Ministries/Departments of the Government of India. The report contains six chapters. Chapter I, in addition to explaining the objective of preparing this report, defines audit scope and methodology and also provides a synopsis of significant audit findings and observations. Chapters II to VI present detailed findings/observations arising out of the compliance audit of Scientific and Environmental Ministries/Departments and the research centres, institutes and autonomous bodies under them.
The launch of Space Capsule Recovery Experiment - 2 mission of Department of Space, originally scheduled for August 2008 was delayed for more than five years. This resulted in wasteful expenditure of Rs.52 lakh due to expiry of parachutes and floats procured for the mission and non-achievement of objectives of the mission as of March 2014 in spite of incurring expenditure of Rs.30.66 crore on the mission.
National Institute of Ocean Technology achieved limited success in achieving the objective of indigenising technology for production and deployment of buoys in the ocean even after 12 years of implementation. Low cost meteorological buoys developed indigenously to supplement the buoy project were not being used for intended purpose. Attempts to establish communication through Indian satellite remained at the trial stage as of July 2014. A dedicated vessel procured for deployment of data buoys was barely used for intended purpose.