A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday (July 22, 2025) issued notices to the Union and all State governments on a Presidential Reference seeking clarity on whether the court can impose timelines and lay down guidelines for the conduct of Governors and the President in dealing with State Bills submitted for assent or reserved for their consideration.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai, and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P.S. Narasimha, and A.S. Chandurkar heard the matter.
The Presidential reference has asked whether judicial orders can dictate by what time and in what manner the President and Governors should function under Articles 200 (which covers the process of grant of assent by Governors to State Bills), and 201 (when Bills are reserved by Governors for Presidential assent) of the Constitution.
The President has sought clarity from the top court after its verdict in a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government challenging the State Governor’s delay in clearing 10 re-passed Bills and his subsequent action to reserve them for consideration by the President. The court had ruled that the Governor’s action was illegal.