The Supreme Court has set a three-month deadline for Governors to decide on Bills sent by State Assemblies.
This is to address a gap in the Constitution, which doesn’t specify a time limit for Governors to act on Bills.
The Court emphasized that in a democracy, real power lies with elected governments, not the Governor, who is just a ceremonial head.
If a Governor fails to act within three months—either by giving assent, withholding it, or referring it to the President—the courts can step in.
This is stricter than earlier rulings, which only urged Governors to act in “reasonable time.”
A similar issue exists with Assembly Speakers delaying decisions in MLA disqualification cases under the anti-defection law.
The Court is now considering setting fixed timelines for Speakers too, to prevent misuse and delays.
A past judgment (2020 Keshab Meghachandra Singh case) said such disqualification cases should be decided within three months, but this is often ignored.
It warned that without fixed timelines, disqualification petitions may be ignored, making a mockery of the Tenth Schedule.
These interventions aim to uphold democratic integrity and prevent misuse of Constitutional roles by Governors and Speakers.
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