Eligibility criteria

(1) In order to be eligible for engagement under this Act, the applicant shall be, - (a) a citizen of India and registered with a Bar Council constituted under the Advocates Act, 1961; (b) an advocate who has been practicing in any Court of law within the jurisdiction of India; and (c) possesses the following standing in number of years of practice against the respective category and being an income tax payee and his minimum annual professional income in the last three years be for the sums stated below: - Serial No. 1: Category: Senior Additional Advocate General, Practice: A designated Senior Advocate or alternatively an advocate having not less than 20 years of standing, Income: Rs. 20,00,000/-; Serial No. 2: Category: Additional Advocate General, Practice: A designated Senior Advocate or alternatively an advocate having not less than 16 years of standing, Income: Rs. 15,00,000/-; Serial No. 3: Category: Senior Deputy Advocate General, Practice: 14, Income: Rs. 10,00,000/-; Serial No. 4: Category: Deputy Advocate General, Practice: 10, Income: Rs. 7,00,000/-; Serial No. 5: Category: Assistant Advocate General, Practice: 3, Income: Rs. 3,50,000/-; Serial No. 6: Category: Advocate on Record, Practice: Nil, but having passed the Advocate on Record examination, Income: Nil: Provided that the eligibility condition with regard to minimum standing as a practicing Advocate and annual professional income shall not apply to retired Judicial Officers, retired Law Officers of various departments of the Government of Punjab and retired Law Officers of the Directorate of Prosecution and Litigation, Punjab: Provided further that the Government may, by notification, relax the annual professional income criteria, subject to maximum fifty percent of the amount specified under this sub-section, for the candidates belonging to the Scheduled Caste category. (2) An Advocate shall be disqualified for being engaged, or for continuing as a Law Officer, if, - (a) he has been or is disqualified by the Bar Council of the State, where he has been enrolled or Bar Council of India or any Court or authority; or (b) he is found to be a person of unsound mind; or (c) he is an undischarged insolvent; or (d) he has been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude and such conviction has not been reversed or he has not been granted full pardon in respect of such offence.