Court Slams Governor’s Overreach
On April 8, 2025, the Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark verdict in the Tamil Nadu government’s case against Governor R.N. Ravi, sharply defining the limits of a Governor’s powers under Article 200. The Court slammed the Governor’s refusal to assent to 10 bills—some stalled since January 2020—as “illegal” and unconstitutional, accusing him of sabotaging democracy with delays and baseless vetoes.
Strict Timelines Enforced
Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ruled that Governors have no absolute veto, mandating strict timelines: assent within one month, reservation for the President within three months (only when justified), and approval of re-passed bills “forthwith” (up to one month). After Tamil Nadu’s Assembly re-passed the bills unchanged on November 18, 2023, the Governor’s move to reserve them for the President was shredded as unlawful. Invoking Article 142, the Court declared the bills enacted, delivering a stinging rebuke to gubernatorial overreach.
Governors’ Role Nailed Down
The ruling nailed Governors as ceremonial figureheads who must bow to the elected legislature’s will and the Council of Ministers’ advice, not play political gatekeepers. Focused on university law amendments, the bills aimed to strip the Governor of Vice-Chancellor appointment powers. CM M.K. Stalin hailed the decision as a federalism triumph, a razor-sharp precedent slicing through similar disputes across India.
By BHARAT GLOBAL TIME
