EVOLUTION OF AUDITING :

The term audit is derived from the Latin term ‘audire,’ which means to hear. In early days a person used to listen to the accounts read over by an accountant in order to check them. He was known as auditor. Auditing is as old as accounting and there are signs of its existence in all ancient cultures such as Mesopotamia, Greece, Egypt. Rome, U.K. and India. Arthasashthra by Kautilya detailed rules for accounting and auditing of public finances. The original objective of auditing was to detect and prevent errors and frauds. Auditing evolved and grew rapidly after the industrial revolution in the 18th century with the growth of the joint stock companies the ownership and management became separate. The shareholders who were the owners needed a report from an independent expert on the accounts of the company managed by the board of directors who were the employees. The objective of audit shifted and audit was expected to ascertain whether the accounts were true and fair rather than detection of errors and frauds.

In India the Companies Act, 1913 made audit of company accounts compulsory. With the increase in the size of the Companies and the volume of transactions the main objective of audit shifted to ascertaining whether the accounts were true and fair rather than true and correct. Hence the emphasis was not on arithmetical accuracy but on a fair representation of the financial efforts. The Companies Act, 1913 also prescribed for the first time the qualification of auditors. After the independence in year 1956, Companies Act, 1956 was implemented and detailed provisions were made in act regarding audit and auditors. This act provides provisions regarding compulsory statutory audit of companies, auditor appointment, auditor disqualifications, cost audit, appointment of cost auditors, government audit, special audit etc. The Companies Act, 1956 has been replaced with the Companies Act, 2013. Chapter X of the Companies Act, 2013 (Sections 139-148) deals with the provisions related to Audit & Auditors.