Courtesy: PIB

R. Venkataramani was born on 13 April 1950 in Puducherry (then French India). He completed his schooling at Petit Séminaire Higher Secondary School and pursued an undergraduate degree in Physics from Loyola College, Chennai. Drawn to law at an early age, he went on to study at Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Puducherry, earning his law degree before enrolling with the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu in 1977.

After enrolling, Mr Venkataramani began practising in the Madras High Court before moving to New Delhi in 1979 to join the Supreme Court Bar. In Delhi, he joined the chamber of senior advocate P. P. Rao. Over time, he built an independent practice noted for precision, integrity, and a balanced advocacy style.

Mr Venkataramani’s practice covers a broad range of areas, including constitutional law, public law, taxation, and administrative law. He qualified as an Advocate-on-Record at the Supreme Court of India in March 1982. In January 1997, he was designated as a Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court of India. Over the years, he has represented numerous Central and State Governments, public sector undertakings, universities, and statutory bodies before the Supreme Court and several High Courts.

Mr. Venkataramani was appointed Member of the Law Commission of India twice, first in 2010 and again in 2013. He has also advised expert committees of the Government of India on human rights, environmental law, and affirmative action policy. His scholarly engagement with legislative reform and social justice reflects a consistent commitment to using the law as an instrument of fairness.

Among his prominent assignments, Mr Venkataramani was appointed by the Supreme Court of India as Receiver in the Amrapali Housing Project case, where he oversaw compliance and recovery processes to protect the interests of thousands of homebuyers. He also appeared in the Hijab Row case, which dealt with the intersection of religious freedom and educational regulation. Over the years, he has been involved in several high-impact cases on constitutional interpretation, taxation, and governance accountability.

He has represented the Supreme Court itself in matters concerning the service conditions of its employees.

In October 2022, Mr. Venkataramani was appointed as the 16th Attorney General for India, succeeding Mr. K. K. Venugopal. Initially appointed for a three-year term, his tenure has since been extended until 30 September 2027. As the Attorney General, he serves as the chief legal adviser to the Government of India, representing the Union before the Supreme Court and other courts, and guiding the government on constitutional and statutory matters of national importance.