New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) V. Vualnam, Secretary, Department of Expenditure (DoE), Ministry of Finance, on Saturday urged the Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS) officers to embrace technology and innovation to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of public financial management.

Presiding over the Foundation Day of the Indian Cost Accounts Service here, he also appreciated the weekly training programme towards capacity building introduced by the ICoAS cadre and encouraged ICoAS officers to actively participate in it.

Vualnam underscored the role of iGoT Karmayogi in enriching the knowledge of the officers towards professional competency and also suggested officers to associate themselves with the iGoT Portal by developing small capsule courses based on their experience and knowledge explaining the roles of ICoAS officers in different Ministries and Departments.

In his keynote address, he appreciated the dedication, expertise and commitment of ICoAS officers in shaping the economic landscape of India and emphasised on the critical role of ICoAS officers in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat.

Vualnam also felicitated three young ICoAS officers who have been exemplary in their contributions by conferring them with ‘Sarvottam’, ‘Ati Uttam’ and ‘Uttam’ appreciation certificates.

The inaugural session was followed by three technical sessions, in the presence of Secretary Expenditure and Chief Adviser (Cost).

Pawan Kumar, Chief Adviser (Cost) and head of ICoAS, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the notable developments in the ICoAS over the past year.

In the second session, Anurag Goyal, Senior Adviser at NITI Aayog, discussed the appraisal of infrastructure proposals, underlining the importance of robust evaluation frameworks for efficient planning and execution. The third session, led by cybersecurity expert Gautam Kapoor, focused on the critical role of digital security in governance, offering strategies to strengthen cyber resilience across government systems.

The ‘ICoAS Day 2025’ celebration served as a platform for capacity building, knowledge sharing and strategic dialogue, reinforcing the service’s unwavering commitment to building a stronger, more resilient and economically empowered India.

—IANS

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