M. C. Setalvad was an eminent India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n jurist

Jurist

A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...

, who became the first and longest serving Attorney General of India (1950–1963). He also remained the Chairman of the First Law Commission of India

Law Commission of India

Law Commission of India is an executive body established by an order of the Government of India. Its major function is to work for legal reform. It membership primarily comprises legal experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government...

 (1955–1958), which is mandated for legal reform

Law reform

Law reform or Legal reform is the process of examining existing laws, and advocating and implementing changes in a legal system, usually with the aim of enhancing justice or efficiency....

 in the country by Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

.

He was award the Padma Vibhushan

Padma Vibhushan

The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...

, India's second highest civilian honour by Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

 in 1957.

Biography

The son of noted lawyer Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, Motilal Chimanlal Setalvad was brought up in Mumbai. He studied at Government Law College, Mumbai

Government Law College, Mumbai

The Government Law College, also known as GLC and located in Mumbai, India, is the oldest and one of the most distinguished law schools in India...

.

He started practicing law in Bombay and eventually became Advocate General of Bombay and Attorney General for India in 1950, in the formative years of Government of India, under Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru

Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...

.

Personal life

His son, Atul Setalvad, is a Mumbai-based lawyer and his daughter-in-law Sita Setalvad, a rural crafts exponent, while his granddaughter, Teesta Setalvad

Teesta Setalvad

Teesta Setalvad is a journalist and educationist. She is granddaughter of India's first Attorney General M. C. Setalvad-Personal life:She graduated with a degree in Philosophy from Bombay University in 1983 and started work as a journalist. She reported for the Mumbai editions of The Daily and The...

, is a journalist, activist and educationist.

External links

• M. C. Setalvad, Biography
• Of reform and resistance Indian Express