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Home The Constitution Part VI Article 165
Art. 165 Part VI: The States

Advocate-General for the State

Exact text — Constitution of India

(1) The Governor of each State shall appoint a person who is qualified to be appointed a Judge of a High Court to be Advocate-General for the State. (2) It shall be the duty of the Advocate-General to give advice to the Government of the State upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legal character, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by the Governor, and to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other law for the time being in force.

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

The state-level equivalent of the Union's Attorney General (Article 76) — the Advocate-General is a state's chief law officer, someone qualified to be a High Court judge, who advises the state government on legal matters and represents it in litigation.
Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why every state has its own senior legal officer (the Advocate-General) representing state government interests in court and providing legal advice — a position of considerable importance in state-level litigation and legal policy.

Related Articles

Read alongside this one

Art. 76 — Attorney General for India
Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 165

Is the Advocate-General the same as the state's Public Prosecutor?
No — the Advocate-General primarily advises the state government and represents it in civil/constitutional matters, while criminal prosecutions are typically handled by a separate Public Prosecutor system, though the roles can sometimes overlap or coordinate in practice.
← PreviousArticle 164: Other Provisions as to MinistersNext →Article 166: Conduct of Business of the Government of a State

The text above reproduces Article 165 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.