India's auditor has found that the government cannot account for ₹54,282 crore in expenditure, backed by 33,973 utilisation certificates never submitted — a handful of which date to the era when computers in central ministries were still being evaluated by committee.
CAG Report No. 6 of 2026, tabled in Parliament on April 2, found that 15 central ministries have collectively left 33,973 utilisation certificates unsubmitted — documents required to confirm that disbursed money reached its intended purpose. The total unaccounted amount for FY 2024–25 alone is ₹54,282 crore. Additionally, ₹12,754 crore was flagged for misclassification, meaning it was charged to the wrong budget heads — which is a refined way of saying the government misfiled ₹12,754 crore and also cannot locate ₹54,282 crore. Some outstanding certificates trace back to 1985–86, meaning the government has been waiting 40 years for confirmations on funds disbursed when India was hosting the Non-Aligned Movement summit and had other priorities. The government's response to the audit report — tabled in Parliament, entered into the record, and forwarded to relevant ministries — has been described as 'pin drop silence.' The silence has not, to date, produced a utilisation certificate.