Union Ministry of Finance has appointed M J Joseph as the Controller General of Accounts (CGA). He will succeed Jawahar Thakur, who was recently appointed as OSD (Accounting Reforms) in the office of CGA. Earlier, he was a Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

He also had  served in various administrative capacities in Union Government including Additional Secretary in Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs,  Joint Secretary and Financial Advisor in the President Secretariat and Director in Defence Ministry.

About M J Joseph

1. Joseph is a 1979 batch Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) officer.
2. Joseph also had worked with the International Monitory Fund (IMF) as a Public Financial Management Adviser in Tanzania.
3. He is a Post Graduate in International Economic Relations and studied Business Management from the University of Sydney, Australia.
4. He was a Director General (DG) of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

About Controller General of Accounts (CGA)

1. CGA is the principal Accounts Adviser to the Union Government.
2. He is responsible for maintaining and establishing a technically sound management accounting system.
3. Every month he prepares an analysis of revenues, expenditures, borrowings and the deficit for Union Finance Minister.
4. He also prepares annual Union Finance Accounts and Appropriation Accounts (Civil) for presentation to the Parliament.

Question:

• Who was the first officer to be Controller General of Accounts?
• Answer: Shri Jawahar Thakur.