ICAI and IIPA Join Hands to Strengthen Municipal Finance, Accounting and Urban Governance

2026-07-22 12:04:40 News & Society

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New Delhi, July 21st, 2026: 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 for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 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 of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions 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. Surendrakumar 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.

About ICAI

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is a statutory body set up by an Act of Parliament under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 for the regulation and development of the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. The Institute functions under the administrative supervision of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India. With over 15 Lakh Members and Students, today ICAI is the largest professional accountancy body in the world. ICAI has a wide network of 5 Regional Councils and 186 Branches within India and a global presence with 54 Overseas Chapters and 31 Representative Offices spanning 85 cities across 47 Countries worldwide.

About IIPA

Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) is a premier Research and Training Institute under Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Govt. of India, catering to the needs of Central and State Governments and other Govt. organizations. It was established in 1954 as an Autonomous Society under the Society Registration Act, 1860, to spread the study and awareness of Public Administration and Governance and to change the colonial mindset of the nascent Indian Civil Services post-Independence. Hon'ble Vice President of India is the ex-Officio President and Hon'ble Minister of State in charge of DoPT is the ex-Officio Chairman of IIPA Executive Council.

IIPA has Centers like Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), Centre for Environment & Climate Change, Centre for Good Governance, Centre for Tribal Research & Exploration (COTREX), Dr Ambedkar Centre for Social Justice and others.

The major activities of the Institute are: Training, Research, Advisory and Consultancy services, and Information dissemination and exchange.

About CUS-IIPA

Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) initially known as Centre for Training and Research in Municipal Administration (CTRMA), later renamed as CUS in 1974-75, was established in Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) in 1966 with the support from Government of India (Ministry of Health and Family Planning the then nodal ministry on Urban Local Bodies/ Governments) as a result of recommendations from Nuruddin Committee Report (1963). It was duly endorsed by RURC (Rural Urban Relationship Committee) in 1966.