ORGANISATIONAL SET –UP

The Department of Legal Affairs has a two tier set up, namely, the Main Secretariat at New Delhi and the Branch Secretariats at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. The organization chart of the Department may be seen at Annexure. I. The nature of duties discharged can be broadly classified in to two area- Advice work and Litigation work. 

(A). MAIN SECRETARIAT:- 

1) The set up at the Main Secretariat includes Law Secretary, Additional Secretaries, Joint Secretary and Legal Advisers and other Legal Advisers at various levels. The work relating to tendering of legal advice and conveyancing has been distributed amongst groups of officers. Each group is normally headed either by an Additional Secretary or Joint Secretary and Legal Adviser, who in turn, is assisted by a number of other Legal Advisers at different levels. 

2) The litigation work in the Supreme Court on behalf of all the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and some administrations of the Union Territories is handled by the Central Agency Section presently headed by a Senior Government Advocate. 

3) The litigation work in the High Court of Delhi on behalf of all the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India is processed by the Litigation [High Court] Section presently headed by a Deputy Legal Adviser. 

4) The litigation work in the Subordinate Courts in Delhi is handled by the Litigation [Lower Court] Section presently headed by a Deputy Legal Adviser. 

5) The Department has a special cell, namely Implementation Cell for dealing with the implementation of the recommendations of the Law Commission and the administration of the Advocates Act, 1961.It also deals with the legal profession. This cell is also concerned with the National Tax Tribunal Act, 2005 and it has also been entrusted with the work of coordination under the Right to Information Act, 2005. 

6) There is one sanctioned post of Joint Secretary & Legal Adviser each at Railway Board, Department 3 of Telecommunication and Central Bureau of Investigation respectively and the incumbents to the posts function from the said offices. Further, there is one sanctioned post of Joint Secretary and Legal Adviser in the Department of Public Enterprises and the incumbent functions as an Arbitrator under the scheme of Permanent Machinery of Arbitration in that Department. One Additional Legal Adviser functions as an Arbitrator in the Arbitration cases in the DGS&D. Further, one Deputy Legal Adviser functions from the Army Purchase Organization under the Ministry of Defence. In addition, some officers of different levels such as Additional Legal Adviser, Deputy Legal Adviser and Assistant Legal Adviser are also posted in the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Urban Development and DGS&D, Department of Justice. 

(B) Branch Secretariat, Mumbai:- The Branch Secretariat at Mumbai is headed by a Joint Secretary and Legal Adviser. He is assisted by Additional Legal Advisers, Deputy Legal Adviser, Assistant Legal Adviser and other supporting staff. The litigation work in that Branch Secretariat is handled by one Sr. Government Advocate and three Additional Government Advocates. 

(C) Branch Secretariat, Kolkata :- The Branch Secretariat at Kolkata is headed by a Senior Government Advocate. He is assisted by Additional Legal Advisers, Deputy Legal Adviser, Assistant Legal Adviser and other supporting staff. The litigation work in that Branch Secretariat is handled by one Sr. Government Advocate and two Additional Government Advocates. 

(D) Branch Secretariat, Chennai :- The Branch Secretariat at Chennai is headed by a Deputy Legal Adviser. He is assisted by Assistant Legal Advisers and other supporting staff. 

(E) Branch Secretariat, Bangalore :- The Branch Secretariat at Bangalore is headed by an Assistant Legal Adviser.