New Delhi: Additional Solicitor General Kirit N Raval has been appointed by the Union government as the Solicitor General of India and will succeed Harish N Salve.

After a stint of four years as Additional Solicitor General, Raval has been appointed to the coveted post, top official sources confirmed.

With Salve not willing to continue as Law officer, government decided to promote 50- year old Raval, who becomes one of the youngest and the first from Gujarat to become the Solicitor General.

Holding a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, Raval had a meteoric rise in his career. He was designated a senior advocate only seven years ago and was appointed as Additional Solicitor General in May 1998.

Government sources said his economic background would come handy as at present primacy is being given to legislations to smoothen the process of economic reforms.

An upright lawyer and firm believer in rule of Law, Raval had returned the brief to the Delhi government after it refused to implement court orders on the conversion of entire city bus fleet into CNG mode.

Before his promotion, he was presenting the government defence in the Venkataswamy Commission probing into the allegations of corruption in the Defence deals in the aftermath of Tehelka expose.

PTI