SC: No Timeline for President or Governors to Decide on State Bills

Nov 21, 2025 - The Supreme Court has unanimously overturned the decision of a two-judge Bench delivered on April 8, which had set a three-month time limit for the President and Governors to decide on Bills passed by State Legislatures. The Court has said it cannot prescribe any time limit for Governors or the President to take decisions on Bills under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution.

The five-judge Constitution Bench was headed by Chief Justice (CJI) BR Gavai and comprised of Justice Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice PS Narasimha and Justice AS Chandurkar.

The Court also said that in its opinion Governors cannot indefinitely withhold Bills, and without examining the merits of a Bill, Courts may exercise judicial review and issue limited directions to ensure a timely decision.

The ruling delivered by the country's Apex Court was in response to a reference made by President Droupadi Murmu under Article 143 of the Constitution. The President had sought the Court’s opinion on 14 points after the April 8 verdict in the case related to the Tamil Nadu government. The Constitution Bench has described this verdict as erroneous.

Offering legal opinion on the questions raised by the President, the Bench said that any comment or conclusion made by the earlier Bench on the aspect of time limits applicable to the President under Article 201 should be treated merely as observations and nothing more.

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