On May 7, 2026, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, K. Sanjay Murthy, addressed the 5th BRICS Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders’ Summit. In his address, he stated that the CAG is currently conducting a first-of-its-kind audit of 101 Indian cities to move beyond mere fiscal compliance and evaluate the actual ‘Ease of Living’ (EoL) for citizens.
Audit Objectives & Parameters
- The Shift: From measuring Outputs (e.g., kilometers of road laid, number of metro stations built) to Outcomes (e.g., Have commute times decreased? Has air quality improved? Is there equitable access?).
- Core Assessment Pillars:
- Quality of Life: Health, safety, and basic infrastructure.
- Access: Ease of reaching essential services and workplaces.
- Sustainability: Environmental impact and resource efficiency.
- Perception: Citizen-centric feedback on government services.
Multi-Modal Transport & Logistics Audit
The CAG is specifically auditing Multi-modal transport and First-mile/Last-mile logistics in partnership with IITs, IIMs, and the World Bank.
- Multi-modal Transport: An integrated system using two or more modes of transport (e.g., Metro + Bus + Cycling) in a seamless journey under a single ticket or platform.
- First-Mile/Last-Mile Connectivity:
- First-mile: The trip from your home to a mass transit hub (e.g., walking to a metro station).
- Last-mile: The final leg from the transit hub to the destination (e.g., an e-rickshaw from the station to the office).
- Problem: The CAG noted that “metro lines that don’t connect to bus networks” represent a failure of systems, not infrastructure.
The 5th BRICS SAI Leaders’ Summit 2026
- Host: Bengaluru, India (during India’s year of BRICS Chairmanship 2026).
- Theme: ‘Ease of Living with a Focus on Urban Mobility’.
- Key Outcome: Adoption of the Bengaluru Declaration and the BRICS SAI Work Plan 2027-28.
- Technological Integration: The CAG’s Strategic Plan 2030 emphasizes using AI and Data Analytics to conduct real-time audits of urban projects.
Significance of Urban Governance in India
| Metric | Data Point |
| Economic Contribution | Cities occupy 3% of land but contribute 60% of national GDP. |
| Employment Hub | By 2030, 70% of all new jobs in India will be created in cities. |
| Demographic Shift | By 2050, over 50% of India’s population will reside in urban areas. |
| Economic Loss | Global congestion costs commuters 100–180 productive hours annually. |
The 5-E Framework
The CAG highlighted the Prime Minister’s 5-E vision for sustainable urban transformation:
- Ease of Living (Quality and comfort of life)
- Education (Access to learning hubs)
- Employment (Connectivity to job markets)
- Economy (Efficiency in logistics and commerce)
- Entertainment (Access to open spaces and culture)
What is ‘Ease of Living’ (EoL)?
Ease of Living is an assessment tool used to evaluate the quality of life in cities based on citizen-centric outcomes rather than just physical infrastructure.
- Definition: It is a shift from Output-based governance (e.g., “Has a flyover been built?”) to Outcome-based governance (e.g., “Has the flyover reduced travel time for the average commuter?”).
- Key Pillars (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – MoHUA Framework):
- Quality of Life: Health, education, safety, and housing.
- Economic Ability: Job opportunities and economic growth.
- Sustainability: Environment, green spaces, and waste management.
- Citizen Perception: Feedback from residents regarding municipal services.
Significance of EoL and the Audit
- Economic Productivity: Efficient urban mobility reduces “man-hours” lost in traffic, directly impacting GDP.
- Resource Optimization: Auditing first-mile and last-mile logistics ensures that massive investments in projects like Metros are actually accessible to the public.
- Democratic Accountability: By incorporating citizen feedback, the audit makes urban local bodies (ULBs) more accountable to their residents.
- SDG Alignment: Directly contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
Major Challenges
Despite high investments, achieving “Ease of Living” faces significant hurdles:
| Challenge | Description |
| Fragmented Planning | Lack of coordination between departments (e.g., road authorities vs. metro authorities) leads to “broken” transport links. |
| First-Mile/Last-Mile Gaps | High-speed transit exists, but citizens struggle to travel the short distance between their homes and transit hubs safely or affordably. |
| Data Inaccuracy | Traditional audits often miss “ground-level reality” because they rely on department-provided paperwork rather than real-time citizen experience. |
| Rapid Urbanization | Infrastructure growth often fails to keep pace with the massive influx of people into urban centers. |
| Environmental Stress | Urban flooding and heat islands significantly lower the “liveability” index of even economically prosperous cities. |
Way Forward
To transform Indian cities into “engines of growth” while ensuring ease of living, the following steps are essential:
- Multi-modal Integration: Developing a unified ticketing system and physical connectivity between buses, metros, and para-transit (e-rickshaws).
- Data-Driven Auditing: Utilizing AI, GIS mapping, and Data Analytics (as proposed by the CAG’s Strategic Plan 2030) to track urban projects in real-time.
- Strengthening ULBs: Empowering Urban Local Bodies with more financial autonomy and technical expertise to handle local logistics.
- Focus on Non-Motorized Transport (NMT): Prioritizing pedestrian paths and cycling lanes to bridge the last-mile gap sustainably.
- The 5-E Framework: Implementing the vision of Ease of Living, Education, Employment, Economy, and Entertainment to create holistic urban ecosystems.
Practice Questions
Preliminary Test (PT) / Objective
Q1. With reference to the 5th BRICS Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) Leaders’ Summit, consider the following statements:
- It was hosted by India in Bengaluru under its BRICS Chairmanship in 2026.
- The overarching theme of the summit was ‘Financial Inclusion through Digital Public Infrastructure’.
- The summit concluded with the adoption of the ‘Bengaluru Declaration’.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only
- Explanation: Statement 2 is incorrect. The theme was ‘Ease of Living with a Focus on Urban Mobility’.
Mains Examination / Subjective
Q1. “Urban mobility is where governance stops being abstract and starts being personal.” In light of this statement, discuss the role of outcome-oriented auditing in improving the Ease of Living in Indian cities. (250 Words, 15 Marks)
Key Points for Answer:
- Introduction: Define the shift from measuring outputs to outcomes in urban auditing.
- Body:
- Discuss the impact of “broken” multi-modal transport (Flyovers shifting congestion vs. solving it).
- Explain how auditing first-mile/last-mile logistics directly affects productivity and GDP.
- Mention the use of AI/Data Analytics in identifying systemic governance failures.
- Conclusion: Emphasize that for India to reach its 2030 job targets, cities must function as integrated systems, not isolated infrastructure projects.
Q2. Explain the concept of ‘Multi-modal Transport’ and analyze its significance in achieving the ‘Ease of Living’ targets for rapidly urbanizing nations like India. (150 Words, 10 Marks)