https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=K._K._VenugopalK. K. Venugopal - Revision history2026-07-31T21:55:26ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=K._K._Venugopal&diff=471858&oldid=prevAranyam at 01:46, 19 November 20252025-11-19T01:46:30Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian constitutional lawyer}}<br />
{{BLP sources|date=December 2024}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| name = K. K. Venugopal<br />
| image = Kottayan Katankot Venugopal, K K Venugopal.jpg<br />
| caption =<br />
<br />
| birth_name = Kottayan Katankot Venugopal<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1931|09|06|df=yes}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Kanhangad]], [[South Canara]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]]<br>(present day [[Kasaragod district|Kasaragod]], [[Kerala]], India)<br />
| nationality = [[Indian people|Indian]]<br />
| alma_mater = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Raja Lakhamgouda Law College|Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Belgaum]]|}}<br />
| occupation = Lawyer<br />
| spouse = <br />
| children = <br />
| parents =<br />
<br />
| office1 = 13th [[Attorney-General for India]]<br />
| term_start1 = {{Start date|2017|07|01|df=yes}}<br />
| term_end1 = {{End date|2022|09|30|df=yes}}<br />
| primeminister1 = [[Narendra Modi]]<br />
| predecessor1 = [[Mukul Rohatgi]]<br />
| successor1 = [[R. Venkataramani]]<br />
<br />
| awards = {{Unbulleted_list|[[Padma Vibhushan]] (2015)|[[Padma Bhushan]] (2002)}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Kottayan Katankot Venugopal''' (born 6 September 1931) is an Indian constitutional lawyer and a [[Senior Counsel|senior advocate]] in the [[Supreme Court of India]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-02-02 |title=The Hindu : National : Constitutional experts criticise CEC's decision |url=http://hindu.com/2009/02/02/stories/2009020254821000.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206114949/http://hindu.com/2009/02/02/stories/2009020254821000.htm |archive-date=2009-02-06 |access-date= |website=hindu.com}}</ref> He was enrolled as an advocate on 27 January 1954. On 1 July 2017, he was appointed as the [[Attorney General of India]] and retired on 30 September 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barandbench.com/news/i-will-be-90-by-the-time-this-one-year-will-be-over-kk-venugopal-law-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad-speaks-on-attorney-generals-extension|title = I will be 90 by the time this one year will be over: KK Venugopal; Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad speaks on Attorney General's extension| date=12 June 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/senior-advocate-r-venkataramani-is-the-new-attorney-general/article65947809.ece/ | title=Senior advocate R. Venkataramani is the new Attorney General of India | newspaper=The Hindu | date=28 September 2022 }}</ref> He is Patron of SAARCLAW (A regional apex body of [[SAARC]]) and earlier has been its President.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legaleraonline.com/distinguished-legal-mind-of-india/kk-venugopal-317|title=K.K. Venugopal|date=January 2019|access-date=17 September 2021|archive-date=17 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917141155/https://www.legaleraonline.com/distinguished-legal-mind-of-india/kk-venugopal-317|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is founder of M K Nambyar SAARCLAW Centre For Advanced Legal Studies at the [[NALSAR University of Law]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nalsar.ac.in/m-k-nambyar-saarclaw-centre-advanced-legal-studies|title=M K Nambyar SAARCLAW Centre for Advanced Legal Studies &#124; NALSAR UNIVERSITY OF LAW}}</ref><br />
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==Early life and education==<br />
Venugopal was born in a [[Nambiar (Nair subcaste)|Nair]] family to Meloth Krishnan Nambiar and Kalyani Nambiar in [[Kanhangad]], a town in the [[South Canara]] district of the [[Madras Presidency]] of [[British India]] (present-day [[Kerala]]), and grew up in [[Mangalore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet K K Venugopal India’s 15th Attorney General; all you want to know about government’s chief legal advisor |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/meet-k-k-venugopal-indias-new-attorney-general-all-you-want-to-know-about-governments-chief-legal-advisor/743501/ |work=Financialexpress |date=3 July 2017 |language=en}}</ref><br />
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Venugopal was a student at [[St. Aloysius College, Mangalore]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Meet K K Venugopal India’s 15th Attorney General; all you want to know about government’s chief legal advisor |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/meet-k-k-venugopal-indias-new-attorney-general-all-you-want-to-know-about-governments-chief-legal-advisor/743501/ |work=Financialexpress |date=3 July 2017 |language=en}}</ref> He then enrolled at [[Madras Christian College]], [[Chennai]], to complete his degree in Physics and dropped out as he fell ill during the final exams.<ref>{{cite web |title=KK Venugopal is the new attorney-general: All you need to know about the supporter of judicial reforms in India |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/kk-venugopal-likely-to-be-the-next-attorney-general-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-supporter-of-judicial-reforms-in-india-3750137.html |website=Firstpost |language=en-us |date=3 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Balancing inclusion with merit |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/balancing-inclusion-with-merit/ |work=The Indian Express |date=26 January 2010 |language=en}}</ref> Afterwards, he did his degree in [[Law]] at [[Raja Lakhamgouda Law College|Raja Lakhamgouda Law College, Belgaum]].<ref>{{cite web |title=KK Venugopal is the new attorney-general: All you need to know about the supporter of judicial reforms in India |url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/kk-venugopal-likely-to-be-the-next-attorney-general-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-supporter-of-judicial-reforms-in-india-3750137.html |website=Firstpost |language=en-us |date=3 July 2017}}</ref><br />
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==Career==<br />
In 1970, K.K. Venugopal appeared in the [[Supreme Court of India]] on behalf of an aspiring medical student for his [[Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery|MBBS]] admission in the state of [[Tamil Nadu]]. The opposing junior lawyer was [[P. Chidambaram]], who later became the [[Ministry of Finance (India)|Finance Minister of India]]. He appeared on behalf of Dr. A. Peeriakaruppan s/o Dr. P. R. Annamalai MD and the Chief Justice Hegde gave the verdict on 15 January 1971 in favor of the aspiring Medical Student Periakaruppan and the State of Tamil Nadu lost its Case. This is a landmark decision, that gave more weightage for the merit rather than other influences.{{clarify |date= December 2024}}<br />
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Venugopal was the President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (1990–91, 1994-95 and 1999-2000). He was President of the [[Union Internationale des Avocats]] (UIA - International Association of Lawyers) from 1996 to 1997.<br />
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Venugopal has appeared in many high-profile cases. He was appointed by the [[Royal Government of Bhutan]] to serve as the Constitutional adviser for drafting of the [[Constitution of Bhutan]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/meet-86-yr-old-kk-venugopal-who-replaces-mukul-rohatgi-as-attorney-general-117063001103_1.html|title=Meet 86-yr-old KK Venugopal, who replaces Mukul Rohatgi as Attorney General|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=30 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/YyBZ0VOaCHPvfcAKngXjsJ/Aadhaar-triple-talaq-immediate-challenges-for-new-attorney.html|title=Aadhaar, triple talaq immediate challenges for new attorney general KK Venugopal|work=mint |date=3 July 2017 |last1=Agarwal |first1=Priyanka Mittal }}</ref> He has advised the then President of Sri Lanka, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, on the devolution of powers on the Tamil regions of Sri Lanka (2004). On 30 June 2017, he was appointed as the [[Attorney General of India]] under the leadership of Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]]. He succeeded Mukul Rohatgi, who stepped down after the first term. Venugopal held the office of [[Additional Solicitor General of India|Additional Solicitor General]] in [[Janata government|Morarji Desai’s Government]]. He has appeared in a variety of cases in the last 50 years. Venugopal was appointed as [[amicus curiae]] to assist the Supreme Court in the high profile [[2G spectrum case]].<br />
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He appeared for the BJP leader [[L. K. Advani]] in the [[Demolition of the Babri Masjid]] case.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Babri Masjid Case: Supreme Court adjourns Babri demolition case hearing for two weeks |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/supreme-court-adjourns-babri-demolition-case-hearing-for-two-weeks/articleshow/57788685.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref><br />
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Other well-known lawyers have been trained under his tutelage.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parameshwar |first=K. |date=2024-05-05 |title=KK Venugopal: The Malabar Banyan |url=https://www.barandbench.com/columns/kk-venugopal-the-malabar-banyan |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news |language=en}}</ref><br />
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==Honours==<br />
[[File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Shri K.K. Venugopal, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 08, 2015.jpg|thumb|The [[President of India|President]], Shri [[Pranab Mukherjee]] presenting the [[Padma Vibhushan]] to Shri K. K. Venugopal, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at [[Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi|Rashtrapati Bhavan]], in [[New Delhi]] on 8 April 2015]]<br />
In 2015, he was conferred [[Padma Vibhushan]] award by the [[Government of India]]. This is the second-highest civilian honour in India. In 2002, he was awarded [[Padma Bhushan]], the third-highest civilian honour. He was awarded the Vidhi Ratna in 2023 by the Bar Council of India for his outstanding contribution to the Legal Profession. He received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the US-India Business Council in 2012.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref><br />
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He was conferred the Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor of Laws by (1) the Utkal University, Orissa, in 2010; (2) by the Chanakya National Law University, Patna, in 2018; and (3) by the NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, in 2019.<br />
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==Opinion on judicial reforms==<br />
{{See also|Judiciary of India}}<br />
Venugopal is one of the main advocates for judicial reforms in India.{{citation needed|date= September 2022}} He is against the creation of regional benches of the [[Supreme Court of India]]. Instead, he recommends that Courts of Appeal be established in the four regions of the country, who finally decide on appeals from the High Court judgments in all cases other than cases of national importance which affect the whole country, disputes between States or between States and the Centre, [[Presidential reference]]s and substantial questions of law relating to interpretation of the Constitution. This will relieve the burden on the Supreme Court.<ref name="Conversation with Constitutional Law Expert and Senior Advocate KK Venugopal">{{cite news|title=Conversation with Constitutional Law Expert and Senior Advocate KK Venugopal |url=http://barandbench.com/brief/4/2698/conversation-with-constitutional-law-expert-and-senior-advocate-kk-venugopal |access-date=6 September 2012 |newspaper=Bar & Bench |date=17 August 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130117163342/http://barandbench.com/brief/4/2698/conversation-with-constitutional-law-expert-and-senior-advocate-kk-venugopal |archive-date= 17 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}<br />
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}<br />
{{Attorney-General for India}}<br />
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Venugopal, K.K.}}<br />
[[Category:1931 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in public affairs]]<br />
[[Category:Attorneys general of India]]<br />
[[Category:Supreme Court of India lawyers]]<br />
[[Category:Scholars from Mangalore]]<br />
[[Category:Indian barristers]]<br />
[[Category:Union Internationale des Avocats]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian lawyers]]<br />
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]<br />
[[Category:People from Kasaragod district]]</div>Aranyam