Under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution, the President of India has the authority to appoint the Attorney General of India on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. That is why this article is also named the Attorney General of India article.
The Attorney General of India is the government of India's main legal adviser and its primary advocate before the Supreme Court of India. Under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution, the Attorney General of India holds office during the pleasure of the President.
Details of Article 76 of the Indian Constitution
According to Article 76 of the Indian Constitution -
(1) The President appoints an Attorney General for India who is competent to be appointed as a Supreme Court Judge.
(2) It shall be the Attorney General's duty to advise the Government of India on such legal issues and to perform such other legal responsibilities as may be referred or assigned to them by the President from time to time, as well as to discharge the functions conferred on them by or under this Constitution or any other law in force at the time.
(3) The Attorney General shall have the right of audience in all courts in India while performing their duties.
(4) The Attorney General serves at the convenience of the President and receives whatever salary the President determines.
☛ Also Read: Weekly Current Affairs PDF
Rights and Responsibility of the Attorney General of India
Article 76 of the Indian Constitution outlines the following for the Attorney General -
- They advise the Union administration on any legal concerns the President refers to them.
- The President constantly directs them to legal problems that they find noteworthy, and the Attorney General must advise them on those as well.
- Apart from what the President refers to, they also carry out constitutionally mandated tasks.
List of the Attorney Generals of India
S. No. | Name of the Attorney General | Tenure |
1 | M.C. Setalvad | 28 January 1950 - 1 March 1963 |
2 | C.K. Daftari | 2 March 1963 - 30 October 1968 |
3 | Niren de | 1 November 1968 - 31 March 1977 |
4 | S.V. Gupte | 1 April 1977 - 8 August 1979 |
5 | L.N. Sinha | 9 August 1979 - 8 August 1983 |
6 | K. Parasaran | 9 August 1983 - 8 December 1989 |
7 | Soli Sorabjee | 9 December 1989 - 2 December 1990 |
8 | J. Ramaswamy | 3 December 1990 -23 November 1992 |
9 | Milon K. Banerji | 21 November 1992 - 8 July 1996 |
10 | Ashok Desai | 9 July 1996 - 6 April 1998 |
11 | Soli Sorabjee | 7 April 1998 - 4 June 2004 |
12 | Milon K. Banerjee | 5 June 2004 - 7 June 2009 |
13 | Goolam Essaji Vahanvati | 8 June 2009 - 11 June 2014 |
14 | Mukul Rohatgi | 12 June 2014 - 30 June 2017 |
15 | K.K. Venugopal | 30 June 2017 to date |
The Attorney General of India gets appointed for India under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution.
The Attorney General of India article implies that the Attorney General would serve India's people rather than the government. The Union Cabinet selects who should be named Attorney General, what subjects should be forwarded to him for legal assistance, and how much he should be paid.
FAQs on Article 76 of the Indian Constitution
Q1. What is Article 76 of the Indian Constitution?
Ans. Article 76 of the Indian Constitution cites that the Attorney General of India is the highest law officer in India. They advise the union government on all legal matters as the government of India's main legal advisor.
Q2. Who was the first appointed Attorney General of India under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution?
Ans. M.C. Setalvad was appointed as the first Attorney General of India under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution.
Q3. Who appoints the Attorney General of India following Article 76 of the Indian Constitution?
Ans. Under Article 76 of the Indian Constitution, the President of India, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, appoints the Attorney General of India.
Q4. Who is the current Attorney General of India as per Article 76 of the Indian Constitution?
Ans. K.K. Venugopal is the current Attorney General of India as per Article 76 of the Indian Constitution.