Additional Solicitor General

The Solicitor General of India is below the Attorney General for India, who is the Indian government's chief legal advisor, and its primary lawyer in the Supreme Court of India. The Solicitor General of India is appointed for the period of 3 years. The Solicitor General of India is the secondary law officer of the country, assists the Attorney General, and is himself assisted by several Additional Solicitors General of India. Ranjit Kumar is the present Solicitor General who was appointed so on 7 June 2014 Like the Attorney General for India, the Solicitor General and the Additional Solicitors General advise the Government and appear on behalf of the Union of India in terms of the Law Officers (Terms and Conditions) Rules, 1972. However, unlike the post of Attorney General for India, which is a Constitutional post under Article 76 of the Constitution of India, the posts of the Solicitor General and the Additional Solicitors General are merely statutory. Appointments Committee of the Cabinet appoints the Solicitor General. Whereas Attorney General for India is appointed by the President under Article 76(1) of the Constitution, the solicitor general of India is appointed to assist the attorney general along with four additional solicitors general by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. The proposal for appointment of Solicitor General, Additional Solicitor General is generally moved at the, level of Joint secretary/Law Secretary in the Department of Legal Affairs and after obtaining the approval of the Minister of Law & Justice, the proposal is sent to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet for its approval.

Duties of Solicitor General are laid out in Law Officers (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987:

As law officers represent government of India, there are certain restrictions which are put on their private practice. A law officer is not allowed to:

Fee and allowances payable to the law officers (including Attorney General of India, Solicitor General of India and the Additional Solicitors General) of the Government of India are as under:

In addition to the above fee payable for cases, a retainer fee is paid to the Attorney General of India, Solicitor General of India and the Additional Solicitors General at the rate of Rs. 50,000, Rs. 40,000, and Rs. 30,000 per month, respectively. Moreover, the Attorney General of India is also paid a sumptuary allowance of rupees four thousand per month, except during the period of his leave.