New Delhi: In a historic remark, the Supreme Court made it clear that the President cannot indefinitely hold up the bills passed by the legislature. He has to express his assent or dissent within three months. The decision came while hearing a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government against Governor R.N. Ravi, who had held back 10 bills without signature. A bench of Justices JB Padriwal and R. Mahadevan said, “The President has to take a decision in a time-bound manner. It is mandatory to give reasons in case of delay.” The move will promote transparency in the legislative process.

This is the first time that the Supreme Court has set a deadline for the President to sign the bill. Earlier, the court had given one month to the governors to send the bill to the President and three months for a decision. Apart from Tamil Nadu, non-BJP states like West Bengal have also witnessed clashes between governors and governments over bills. Constitutional expert Dr. Ramesh Tiwari said, “This decision will strengthen the democratic process and put a stop to unnecessary delays.” This decision is a matter of relief for those states which are facing obstacles in legislative work.