In the Union Government of India, who is officially designated as the first Law Officer of the country?

Introduction / Context:
The Indian legal system includes several important offices that advise the government and interpret the Constitution. One key position is the chief legal advisor to the central government, often called the first Law Officer of India. This question tests whether you can correctly identify that office and distinguish it from other legal and judicial roles like the Law Minister or the Chief Justice.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question asks for the first Law Officer of the Government of India.

Options include both executive and judicial offices such as the Union Law Minister and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

We assume knowledge that some of these positions are political and others are constitutional law offices.

Concept / Approach:
The Attorney General for India is appointed under Article 76 of the Constitution. This office is described as the highest law officer of the Union. The Attorney General advises the Government of India on legal matters and can appear in courts on its behalf. The Union Law Minister is a member of the Council of Ministers and a political office holder. The Secretary in the Ministry of Law is a senior bureaucrat. The Chief Justice heads the judiciary but is not the government s law officer. Therefore, the term first Law Officer clearly refers to the Attorney General for India.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the phrase first Law Officer refers to the highest ranking legal advisor to the Union Government. Step 2: Recall that Article 76 creates the office of the Attorney General for India. Step 3: The Attorney General advises the government on legal matters and represents it in important cases before the Supreme Court and other courts when required. Step 4: Union Law Minister is a political head of the Ministry of Law and Justice, not the top law officer. Step 5: Therefore, the correct answer is Attorney General for India.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity reference books clearly state that the Attorney General is the first Law Officer of the Government of India. A useful check is to note that similar terminology is used at the state level, where the Advocate General acts as the highest law officer for the state government. This parallel structure reinforces that Attorney General is the matching title at the Union level.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Union Law Minister: This is a cabinet level political position responsible for policy and administration in the legal field. It is not described as the first Law Officer in the constitutional sense.
Secretary, Ministry of Law: The Secretary is a senior civil servant who assists in administration but does not hold the constitutional office of chief legal advisor to the government.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: The Chief Justice heads the judiciary and presides over the Supreme Court. The position is independent from the government and is not a government law officer.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse the Attorney General with the Law Minister because both are associated with laws and the central government. The key difference is that the Attorney General is a constitutional office and acts as a professional law officer, while the Law Minister is part of the political executive. To avoid confusion, remember the pair of terms: Attorney General for India at the Union level and Advocate General at the state level. Both are described as the highest law officers for their respective governments.

Final Answer:
The first Law Officer of the Government of India is the Attorney-General for India.