Mukul Rohatgi appointed as 14th Attorney-General of India

Mukul Rohatgi was appointed as the 14th Attorney-General of India on 28 May 2014. He will succeed Gulam Vahanvati.

Rohatgi represented the Gujarat government in the Supreme Court in many cases like 2002 Gujarat riots, Zahira Sheikh and Best Bakery cases.

Earlier, the 13th Attorney-General of India, Goolam Essaji Vahanvati and Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran tendered their resignations after change of government in India. They resigned as law officer because tenure of law officers is co-terminus with the government.

About Mukul Rohatgi
• He is a senior Supreme Court advocate and is among the top corporate lawyers in the country
• He was the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) under the NDA regime in 1999.
• He has represented top companies in the 2G Scam trial.
• He has also been representing the Italian Embassy in the Supreme Court in case relating to two Italian marines involved in killing of two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in 2012.

Constitutional Provision for Attorney-General of India
Article 76 of the Constitution of India says about Attorney-General of India. It states that
(1) The President shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court to be Attorney-General for India.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Attorney-General to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the President, and to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other law for the time being in force.
(3) In the performance of his duties the Attorney-General shall have right of audience in all courts in the territory of India.
(4) The Attorney-General shall hold office during the pleasure of the President, and shall receive such remuneration as the President may determine.

MC Setalvad was the first and longest serving Attorney General for India (1950–1963).