Working in the background to ensure the smooth functioning of the fests and of the Student Union is the Corroboration and Review Committee (CRC). The committee closely works with the Institute and various student bodies to take care of the finances of the Student Union, which includes Oasis and APOGEE. The English Press Club interviewed Paritosh Sharma, a member of the CRC, to gain more insight into the committee’s functioning.
A major part of the CRC’s responsibilities is the auditing of all transactions made by the Student Union from the BITS account. The CRC scrutinises every transaction that the student body makes for Oasis, APOGEE, or for any club. The transactions are checked to see if they follow the procedure laid out in the Procedure Manual, and the interpretation of the CRC is final in all matters regarding the financial sections of the Procedure Manual. If any discrepancies are found, it is the CRC’s duty to bring it to the notice of the GBM with evidence. The CRC is independent in such investigations of misuse—it can appoint their own representatives and all members of any committee, department, or club are bound to share information with the CRC. One instance of such misuse in the recent past occurred two years ago when the then-President made a payment without notifying the CRC—a breach of the Procedure Manual. The matter was brought to light via a root mail.
The payment process is a long-drawn-out one and it’s upon the CRC to ensure that payments happen on time, so as to not harm the name of the Institute or the fest. The procedure for a typical payment, depending on the category the transaction falls under, first involves the President, General Secretary and the CRC deciding whether the amount is just. Once this stands clear, the CRC and the President make a payment letter of the invoice and send it first to the Associate Dean of SWD, who checks it before sending it to the Chief Warden, who makes a final check before sending it to the Accounts Division for processing. The money is taken from the BITS account which contains three separate ledgers—SU, Oasis, and APOGEE. All transactions, be it a purchase of materials worth just 200–300 rupees or Prof Shows costing lakhs, have to go through this process.
A misconception among some BITSians is that money from the SWD accounts of students is taken to compensate for the loss of a fest. In actuality, the loss of the fest is merely reflected on the aforementioned ledger of the fest in the BITS account.
The CRC, being a perennial body, also acts as a data repository. After the completion of a fest, the CRC compiles all fest finances information and releases a revenue vs expense sheet. They are currently working on the sheet for Oasis and aim to finish it by January. The data enables newer members to make use of previous knowledge and also gives them an idea as to how fests proceeded in the past. Although it is the StuCCA and CoStAA that make the major decisions for the fest, the CRC often puts forward its own points regarding various matters. It takes part in every StuCCA and CoStAA meeting to make minutes of the meet, and hence, it is the only body with intimate knowledge of how previous fests functioned.
The CRC, being an independent body, is free to decide its composition and number of members. Members of the CRC first volunteer during their second year before formally becoming members in their third year. The committee is also free to set its recruitment procedure. While they generally follow a nearly fixed procedure, they do experiment slightly with the pattern every year. The recruitment process usually contains a group discussion, followed by personal interviews, wherein one’s knowledge of campus and perspective on various relevant issues are examined. Following this, an in-depth interview is conducted where the candidate’s viewpoints and ethics are discussed. The overall personality of the candidate is checked, as the CRC requires members with integrity.
Speaking about his experiences working for the CRC, Paritosh said there has been a lot of growth. He has learned more about auditing and taxation and has also made a lot more friends through his various interactions with people in committees, departments, and clubs. He initially thought that the work would be just accounting and attending meets but quickly realized that that wasn’t the case. He mentioned that there’s a popular notion that the CRC has a lot of work, but he confidently stated that that isn’t the case and that the work is fun. ‘You’re working for the people, in a process where transactions worth lakhs are happening in front of you and you are the reason for facilitating them.’ he said.
Finally, as advice to those looking to join the committee, Paritosh said that it’s important that those who join the CRC join it for the value it holds, for the respect and integrity it demands, and for the good that it is supposed to do.