Rajasthan Government Appoints Rajendra Prasad Gupta as Advocate General

Why in News?

On 3rd February 2024, Rajasthan government appointed senior advocate of the Rajasthan High Court Rajendra Prasad Gupta as the Advocate General of the state.

Key Points

  • Rajendra Prasad Gupta was the Additional Advocate General (AAG) from January 2014 to January 2019.
  • He has a good reputation in the field of advocacy and has been practicing in the Jaipur Bench of the High Court since 1985.
  • He is an academic member of the National Law University, Jodhpur. He has also done CA in addition to obtaining an LLB degree.
  • The state government initiated the move after a petition was filed in the High Court regarding the delay in the appointment of the Advocate General.

Advocate General of State

  • The Advocate General of State is responsible for advising the State Government on legal matters referred to him by the Governor.
  • This is a Constitutional post and authority duly appointed under Article 165 of the Constitution of India. He/She acts as the highest law officer in the State.
    • Under this article, the Governor of each State shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed as a Judge of a High Court to be Advocate General for the State.
  • The Advocate General appears in court on behalf of the state in all cases involving the state.
  • The Advocate General is entitled to address and participate in the sessions of both Houses of the State legislature and he has the privilege of participating in the activities of any committee of the State legislature if appointed a member.
    • But he does not have the right to vote.

Additional Advocate General (AAG)

  • An Additional Advocate General (AAG) is a legal officer who assists the Advocate General (AG) of a state or union territory in India.
  • The AAG is appointed by the Governor of the state on the recommendation of the AG.
  • The AAG performs the duties assigned to him or her by the AG, such as appearing in the High Court or other courts on behalf of the state government, giving legal opinions, and drafting pleadings.