The Solicitor General of India (SGI) is an institution and the second-highest law officer of the country, subordinate to the Attorney General for India. Unlike the Attorney General, whose office is a constitutional post under Article 76, the SGI is a statutory post. The office was instituted in 1950, immediately after the Constitution came into effect, to provide dedicated assistance to the Attorney General in representing the Union government in judicial proceedings and to address the increasing complexity of cases involving the government. C.K. Daphtary was the first SGI.
The SGI is appointed by the President of India, based on the recommendation of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), typically for a renewable term of three years. The mechanism governing the SGI's function is primarily the Law Officers (Conditions of Service) Rules, 1987. Key duties include advising the Government of India on legal matters, appearing on its behalf in the Supreme Court or any High Court, and representing the government in a reference made by the President to the Supreme Court under Article 143 of the Constitution.
The SGI is directly connected to the Attorney General for India and is assisted by several Additional Solicitors General of India (Addl. SGIs). The post has not changed from a statutory to a constitutional one; however, the current SGI, Tushar Mehta, was re-appointed for another three years with effect from July 1, 2023, confirming the continuity of the role and its standard term.