Jitendra Singh Calls for Smarter Municipal Governance

• IIPA and ICAI sign MoU to strengthen municipal accounting and financial management.
• Dr. Jitendra Singh calls for technology-driven, evidence-based governance.
• Partnership to focus on research, training and capacity building for Urban Local Bodies.
• MoU aims to improve financial transparency and governance across municipalities.

GG News Brea
New Delhi, 22nd July: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on Tuesday called for professionalising municipal governance through research, capacity building and financial reforms, saying technology-driven, evidence-based governance and robust financial management will define the next generation of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

Speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Centre for Urban Studies (CUS) of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Minister said municipal accounting is no longer merely a financial function but the foundation of transparent, technology-enabled and citizen-centric urban governance.

The partnership aims to combine IIPA’s expertise in governance and public administration with ICAI’s professional strengths in accounting, auditing and financial management to strengthen municipal institutions across the country.

Describing the collaboration as a major step towards improving local governance, Dr. Singh said both institutions have evolved into centres of excellence and their combined expertise would create a strong institutional framework for modernising municipal administration.

He said governance today increasingly relies on technology, reliable data and professional systems, adding that the collaboration should continue to evolve beyond the scope of the agreement by identifying new opportunities in research, innovation and institutional learning.

The Minister noted that the nationwide presence of IIPA and ICAI would enable the benefits of the initiative to reach municipalities across the country through sustained training and capacity-building programmes.

The MoU provides a framework for collaboration in policy research, knowledge development, advisory services, technical support, training programmes, workshops, seminars and preparation of learning resources aimed at strengthening municipal accounting systems and financial management practices. The agreement will remain in force for an initial period of three years.

Officials said the partnership builds on the National Conference on the 16th Finance Commission and Local Public Finance, jointly organised by IIPA and ICAI earlier this year, which highlighted the need for reforms in municipal accounting and local public finance.

Established in 1966, the Centre for Urban Studies at IIPA has been actively engaged in urban governance research and capacity building and is currently working across six States and three Union Territories with support from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It has also initiated discussions with the Haryana government to support accounting reforms across all 87 Urban Local Bodies in the state.

Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed confidence that the partnership would usher in a new phase of institutional collaboration, equipping municipalities with modern financial systems, stronger institutional capacity and globally aligned accounting practices to improve public service delivery and urban governance.