Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Chief Law Officer
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of important constitutional offices and their roles. The Attorney General of India is created under Article 76 of the Constitution and provides legal advice to the Union Government. Understanding the status and functions of this office helps aspirants differentiate between various advisory and audit institutions in Indian polity and avoid confusion with bodies like the Comptroller and Auditor General or the Election Commission.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Article 76 clearly states that the Attorney General gives advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters as may be referred and performs other legal duties assigned. This shows that it is a legal advisory post and not an accounting, electoral or audit post. The phrase used widely in books and documents is that the Attorney General is the chief law officer of the Government of India. Any other description would be incorrect in constitutional terms.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the domain of work for the Attorney General, which is law and legal advice.
Step 2: Recall that this office appears in Part V of the Constitution dealing with the Union executive and not with audits or elections.
Step 3: Compare each option with this role. Only one option uses the phrase law officer.
Step 4: Reject options that talk about accounts, elections or audit because those are handled by other bodies.
Step 5: Select Chief Law Officer as the correct description.
Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity textbooks on the Constitution consistently describe the Attorney General as the highest law officer of the country who can appear in any court on behalf of the Union Government. Official websites of the Ministry of Law and Justice also refer to this office as the top legal advisor. None of the other phrases like chief account officer or chief election officer appears in constitutional discussions about the Attorney General, which confirms the chosen answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Chief Account Officer would relate to financial bookkeeping and accounting functions which are handled through the Ministry of Finance and other officials, not through the Attorney General. Chief Election Officer would suggest a role inside the Election Commission, which is an independent constitutional body separate from the executive. Chief Audit Officer would point toward the Comptroller and Auditor General of India who audits government accounts. These descriptions do not match the legal advisory nature of the Attorney General role.
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the Attorney General with the Comptroller and Auditor General because both posts appear at the Union level and both have the word general. Another mistake is to assume that the Attorney General conducts elections because law and elections are both public matters. To avoid these errors, aspirants should link each office with its core function, such as legal advice, audit of accounts or conduct of elections, rather than focusing only on titles.
Final Answer:
The Attorney General of India is officially described as the Chief Law Officer of the Government of India.
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