Fri Feb 07 10:07:57 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Questions Tamil Nadu Governor’s Actions on Re-passed Bills
**NEW DELHI, February 7, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India questioned the actions of Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Friday, regarding his referral of 10 re-passed state legislature Bills to the President. The court questioned whether the Governor’s actions were a maneuver to avoid giving his assent to the Bills, primarily concerning university Vice-Chancellor appointments.
The Governor has the power to assent to, withhold assent to, or refer Bills to the President. The Tamil Nadu government argued that referral to the President is only permissible if a Bill is inconsistent with central law (Article 254). If assent is withheld, Article 200 mandates the Governor grant consent if the legislature re-passes the Bill.
However, after initially withholding assent to the 10 Bills, Governor Ravi referred them to the President after the state legislature re-passed them. The President subsequently assented to one, rejected seven, and did not consider two.
The Supreme Court Justices questioned the Attorney General, R. Venkataramani, on whether the Governor could circumvent the mandatory assent clause by referring the Bills to the President after withholding assent. The Attorney General argued that the procedure only applies to minor amendments, not cases of “repugnancy.”
The court noted the Attorney General’s assertion that if the President also rejects the Bills, they would be considered null and void. The case has been adjourned to February 10 for a final hearing. The Supreme Court’s decision will have significant implications for the relationship between state governments and Governors in India.
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