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K. K. Venugopal Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth6 September 1931

Age89 (as in 2020)

BirthplaceKanhangad, Kasaragod district, Madras Presidency, British India

ProfessionIndian constitutional lawyer and senior advocate, Supreme Court of India

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseShantha Konath Venugopal

FamilyChildren: Krishnan Venugopal, Kannan Venugopal, Lakshmi Venugopal; Father: M. K. Nambiar; Mother: Kalyani Nambiar

K. K. Venugopal Biography

Kottayan Katankot Venugopal is an Indian constitutional lawyer and senior Supreme Court advocate who served as the 15th Attorney General of India. With a

Early life and background

Kottayan Katankot Venugopal was born on 6 September 1931 in Kanhangad in the Kasaragod district of what was then the Madras Presidency under British rule. He spent his childhood in Mangalore, where his family moved while he was young, and completed his early education there. His father, M. K. Nambiar, practised as a barrister, and Venugopal later followed a legal path after completing undergraduate studies in physics.

Venugopal studied physics at Madras Christian College, Chennai, earning a B.Sc. degree. He then read law at Raja Lakhamgouda Law College in Belgaum. The influence of his fathers legal career and his own legal training set the stage for a long practice beginning in the 1950s.

Career

Venugopal began his legal career in 1954, initially practising in Mysore and subsequently working with his father at the Madras High Court. Over the decades he built a reputation as a constitutional lawyer and rose to the rank of senior advocate. He relocated to Delhi in 1972, and from there handled many significant matters before the Supreme Court of India.

His practice has included representation in high-profile political and constitutional disputes. He appeared for senior political leaders in matters arising out of the Babri Masjid demolition. Internationally, he served as president of the Union Internationale des Avocats (International Association of Lawyers) from 1996 to 1997, and was entrusted by the Royal Government of Bhutan to assist in drafting that country's constitution.

In recognition of his legal contributions, Venugopal was awarded two of Indias civilian honours: the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2015.

Attorney General of India

Venugopal was appointed the 15th Attorney General of India on 30 June 2017. He continued to serve in that capacity through multiple terms; the President reappointed him for an additional one-year period beginning 1 July 2020. His tenure included representing the government in matters brought before the Supreme Court and providing formal legal opinions when requested by the executive.

Public profile

Venugopal is noted for a long and visible career at the bar. Descriptions of his professional life emphasize a lengthy record of appearances before the highest courts and involvement in constitutional litigation. He has also been publicly associated with specific courtroom exchanges that drew attention during high-profile hearings.

Personal life

Venugopal belongs to the Nambiar community. He is married to Shantha Konath Venugopal. Their children include a son, Krishnan Venugopal, who is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, another son named Kannan Venugopal, and a daughter, Lakshmi Venugopal. His parents were M. K. Nambiar and Kalyani Nambiar. He had at least one sister, Nalini Vasudevan, who predeceased him in 2013, and brothers Shiva Shanker Nambiar and Ramkumaran Nambiar.

He has an interest in collecting antiquarian books.

Latest updates

Venugopal reached advanced age milestones during the late 2010s and into 2020; publicly available information in 2020 indicated he was 89 years old. His role as Attorney General continued into 2020 following the presidential reappointment that extended his term from 1 July 2020 for one year.

Physical profile

Published profiles list Venugopal's height at approximately 168 cm (about 5 feet 5 inches). His listed eye and hair colour are black.

Overall

Across a career spanning more than five decades, K. K. Venugopal established himself as a leading constitutional lawyer in India, holding senior positions both domestically and internationally and serving as the country's Attorney General. His professional record includes both courtroom advocacy in landmark matters and service in advisory and representative roles for governments.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about K. K. Venugopal, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded
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Recent Work

Attorney General of India

Served as the 15th Attorney General of India; reappointed for a one-year term beginning 1 July 2020.

2017-2020
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Career Highlights

  1. Appointed 15th Attorney General of India (30 June 2017)
  2. Reappointed as Attorney General for one year starting 1 July 2020
  3. President, Union Internationale des Avocats (19961997)
  4. Assisted the Royal Government of Bhutan in drafting its constitution
  5. Awarded Padma Bhushan (2002) and Padma Vibhushan (2015)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was K. K. Venugopal born?

6 September 1931

What is K. K. Venugopal known for?

Indian constitutional lawyer and senior advocate, Supreme Court of India

What is K. K. Venugopal’s marital status?

Married

Who is K. K. Venugopal married to?

Shantha Konath Venugopal