Centre reappoints Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for three years; five ASGs also get extension
New Delhi, June 21
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the reappointment of Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta for a further term of three years from July 1, ensuring continuity in the Centre's legal leadership before the Supreme Court and other constitutional courts.
The decision was conveyed through an order issued on June 20 by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). Mehta will continue as the country's second-highest law officer for a fresh three-year term, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
One of the government's most prominent legal faces, Mehta has represented the Union of India in several landmark cases involving constitutional interpretation, national security, electoral reforms, citizenship issues, taxation, digital regulation and Centre-State disputes. He has regularly appeared before Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court and in matters carrying significant policy implications for the government.
Along with Mehta, the ACC has approved the reappointment of five Additional Solicitors General (ASGs) for the Supreme Court for another three-year term. Vikramjit Banerjee and K.M. Nataraj have been reappointed with effect from July 1, 2026, while Suryaprakash V. Raju, N. Venkataraman and Aishwarya Bhati have been reappointed from June 30, 2026.
In a separate decision, the government has reappointed Chetan Sharma as Additional Solicitor General for the Delhi High Court for a further period of six months with effect from July 1, 2026, or until further orders.
The reappointments come at a time when the Union Government is engaged in litigation involving a range of constitutional, regulatory and public policy issues before the Supreme Court and various High Courts. The move reflects the government's confidence in its existing legal team and ensures stability in its representation before the courts.
Mehta, a senior advocate from Gujarat, first joined the Centre's legal team as Additional Solicitor General in 2014. He was elevated as Solicitor General of India in October 2018 and has since emerged as one of the longest-serving holders of the office in recent years. Prior to his appointment at the Centre, he served as Additional Advocate General for Gujarat and built an extensive practice in constitutional and public law.
The reappointed ASGs have likewise played key roles in representing the Union Government across a broad spectrum of cases involving constitutional law, taxation, criminal justice, economic regulation and governance-related issues before the Supreme Court.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the continuity but I wish there was more transparency about how these reappointments are evaluated. While Mehta has handled many high-profile cases, we rarely hear about the criteria used for such extensions. Would be good to have some debate on this process.
Tushar Mehta's long tenure is actually a double-edged sword. On one hand, he knows the government's legal strategy inside out. On the other, it raises questions about institutional independence. The SG should not become too cosy with the ruling dispensation. Just my honest take.
Interesting that Aishwarya Bhati got reappointed too. She's done excellent work especially in cases dealing with women's rights and child protection. Good to see some gender representation in the top legal team.
As someone who follows Indian legal affairs from abroad, I find it notable how the same team keeps getting extended. In most democracies, law officers serve fixed terms with clear limits. This pattern raises questions about whether the government is avoiding fresh legal perspectives.
Whatever one's political views, Tushar Mehta is undeniably one of the finest legal minds in the country. His arguments in the National Register of Citizens case and the electoral bonds case were really well-prepared. Glad to see merit being rewarded.
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