Supreme Court Issues Notice to Centre, States on Time Limits for Assent to Bills

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Centre and all state governments seeking their response on whether time limits should be imposed on Governors and the President to grant assent to Bills, in the absence of a constitutionally mandated timeframe.

The move follows a reference made by President Droupadi Murmu in May 2025, under Article 143 of the Constitution, asking the apex court for its advisory opinion on the constitutional options available to the Governor and President when a Bill is presented to them under Articles 200 and 201.

This development comes in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu Bills case, where in April 2025, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court invoked its special powers under Article 142 to break a constitutional deadlock between the Tamil Nadu government and Governor R.N. Ravi. The standoff emerged over prolonged delays in the Governor granting assent to Bills passed by the state legislature.

The Supreme Court had ruled that Governor Ravi’s withholding of assent to 10 Bills was “illegal and arbitrary.” It held that once a Bill is returned, re-passed by the legislature, and presented again, the Governor cannot reserve it for the President’s consideration. The court also recommended a three-month timeline for the President to act on such Bills when re-submitted after reconsideration.

The judgment effectively brought Presidential actions under judicial scrutiny, prompting the President to seek formal guidance from the Supreme Court. Under Article 143, the President may seek the apex court’s opinion on questions of public importance or constitutional interpretation.

The case now stands to shape the evolving jurisprudence on the balance of power between the legislature and constitutional authorities like the Governor and President in India’s parliamentary system.