Chennai, 27th August 2026: Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) are launching a Certification programme on Audit of Digital Systems (CADS). This is a first-of-its-kind certification programme curated by any Supreme Audit Institution to build capacity in auditing digital government and enterprise systems.
Governments and organisations are increasingly relying on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Artificial Intelligence, cloud platforms and data-driven services. This has increased the demand for professionals capable of auditing complex digital systems. The CADS has been developed to equip learners with specialised competencies required to assure transparency, accountability and governance in the digital era.
Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, launched the Foundation-level certification under the three-tier CADS programme at IIT Madras Campus today (27th August 2026) through SWAYAM Plus in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras and other stakeholders.
Addressing the launch event, Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Comptroller and Auditor General of India, said, “As government becomes increasingly digital, our audit must be capable of giving assurances on the robustness of the systems. For this Department, that capability is central to discharging our constitutional mandate and add value to the efforts of good governance. CADS will, in time, be a mandatory requirement for officers auditing digital systems.”
Shri Murthy further added that, “the nine-month course on Data Analytics, AI, ML and Cybersecurity by IIT Madras, currently offered to our officers has added immense value to our audit efforts. The first batch of officers to whom certificates are being issued today, are already applying advanced analytics and AI/ML knowledge in the various field audit assignments, making this a productive exercise giving scale and depth in auditing complex systems.
Further, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “NEP 2020 lays great emphasis on providing inclusive and skill-based education. The launch of Certification on Audit of Digital Systems (CADS) is one more step in this direction which should enhance efficient governance of digital systems. Technology adaptation is impacting all walks of life and hence it is imperative to build capacity towards audit of these digital domains to ensure transparency and accountability. I am glad this is being offered through Swayam Plus to bridge the gap in providing industry related skill sets”
The curriculum has been jointly designed by domain experts from CAG, IIT Madras and IITM Pravartak, and is aligned with National Education Policy (NEP) and National Credit Framework (NCrF). The CADS certification provides recognised academic credits while also creating a structured pathway for professional skill development and capacity building in the digital systems audit sector.
The programme will be open to anyone holding / pursuing undergraduate degree across the country. Spanning four months, the programme will be delivered fully online, with learners being assessed through proctored Computer-Based Tests (CBT) conducted in-person.
Delivering the welcome address, Shri Bijay Kumar Mohanty, Additional Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General and Chief Technology Officer explained the rationale behind the CADS as a world class certification programme and stated that such professional certification not only adds value to individual career but also contribute to the institutional pool of expertise. He further stated that the CADS has been designed as a geography neutral course so that anyone interested in audit of digital systems can enrol in the programme and get certified. The programme will eventually be offered to global participants.
The programme covers Public Audit and five other core domains that collectively address the full spectrum of modern digital audit: Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, Digital Public Platforms & Privacy, and Artificial Intelligence. Public Audit serves as the common foundational domain for learners before they progress to these specialised areas.
Beyond the Foundation programme, the initiative is envisioned as a three-tier certification pathway. Learners will subsequently be able to pursue Proficient and Expert level certifications, enabling them to advance from foundational digital audit competencies to leading complex, multi-domain digital audit engagements.
The program is being hosted on IITM Pravartak Learning Management System through SWAYAM Plus. It combines online learning with practical case studies, self-assessment modules and industry-relevant audit scenarios. Designed as a geography-neutral certification framework, reflecting the fact that digital transformation and its audit challenges are global in nature, CADS is envisaged to be extended to auditors and institutions internationally in due course.
The Certification on Audit of Digital Systems strengthens India’s digital governance ecosystem by creating a skilled workforce. The graduates of this programme will be capable of auditing emerging technologies, supporting institutional accountability and enabling trusted digital transition across the public and private sectors.
Shri K. Sanjay Murthy also distributed course completion certificates to CAG officials who participated in the IIT Madras Certification Course on Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity.
The programme also featured a “Showcase of Learning: From Classroom to Audit”, where CAG officials demonstrated innovative audit applications, real-world use cases and technology-driven solutions they had developed, highlighting how advanced digital skills can be translated into practical tools for strengthening public sector auditing.