Tue Apr 08 06:17:55 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Declares Tamil Nadu Governor’s Actions on 10 Bills Illegal

**Chennai, April 8, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India ruled today that Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi’s withholding of assent on 10 state bills was illegal and invalid. The court declared the bills, primarily concerning university vice-chancellor appointments, as having been deemed assented to.

The ruling stems from a case where the Governor reserved 10 bills for the President’s assent in November 2023, despite their re-passing by the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. The court found the Governor’s actions to be contrary to Article 200 of the Constitution and a violation of established procedures. The court cited the Governor’s undue delay and lack of respect for previous Supreme Court judgments as factors in its decision.

The original 12 bills were submitted to the Governor between January 2020 and April 2023. After the State challenged the Governor’s inaction, two bills were referred to the President, while the remaining ten were withheld. Following their re-passing by the Assembly, the Governor again referred them to the President, who subsequently assented to one, rejected seven, and did not consider two.

Invoking its inherent powers under Article 142, the Supreme Court overturned the Governor’s actions, effectively deeming the 10 bills assented to. The Attorney General represented the Union of India, while senior advocates argued for the State of Tamil Nadu. The judgment criticized the Governor’s actions as “non est” and erroneous.

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