Q. With reference to the Indian Polity, consider the following statements:
1.Governor is empowered to exercise an indefinite Pocket Veto.
2.The governor has the final say in deciding whether a matter falls within his or her discretion.
3.Punchhi Commission recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for their assent within a period of 3 months.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation –
Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect. The governor does not have the power to indefinitely pocket veto a bill. The Constitution of India requires the governor to either assent to a bill, withhold assent, return the bill for reconsideration or reserve it for the consideration of the President. The governor must make a decision within a reasonable timeframe, and they cannot simply ignore a bill indefinitely.
However, Article 200 states that the Governor must return the Bill “as soon as possible” but does not prescribe a specific timeframe to make a decision. This is misused by the governor and sits on the bill indefinitely.
Punchhi Commission recommended that the Governor should take a decision with respect to a Bill presented for their assent within a period of 6 months.
Statement 2 is correct. The governor has discretionary powers, and decisions made within this discretion are typically considered final. However, these decisions are subject to legal and constitutional limits.
Source: ForumIAS
