Supreme Court Rules Against Tamil Nadu Governor for Blocking 10 Bills

In a big decision, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi was wrong to stop 10 bills passed by the state government. The court called his actions “illegal” and “unconstitutional” because he held back these bills and sent them to the President of India instead of approving them. The court said this was not allowed under Article 200 of the Constitution, which tells governors how to handle bills.

The judges, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan, said the Governor cannot sit on bills forever or send them to the President after the state assembly passes them again. They ruled that these 10 bills should be treated as approved from the day they were sent back to the Governor after being re-passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The court also said any steps taken by the President on these bills are now canceled.

The Supreme Court set new rules for all governors. If a governor wants to hold back a bill or send it to the President with the state government’s advice, they must decide within one month. If they go against the state government’s advice, they get three months. And if the state assembly re-passes a bill, the governor must approve it within one month. The court warned that not following these timelines could lead to legal action.

The judges said the Governor’s job is to help, not block, the state government. Justice Pardiwala wrote that governors must not stop the will of the people, who elect the state assembly, for political reasons. This ruling came after the Tamil Nadu government, led by Chief Minister MK Stalin, asked the court to step in because Governor Ravi had delayed these bills for years.

MK Stalin called it a “historic win” not just for Tamil Nadu but for all states fighting similar battles with their governors. The state had been clashing with Governor Ravi, a former police officer who became governor in 2021, over these bills and other issues.

The 10 bills stopped by Governor RN Ravi were about education and university management. Here’s the list:

• Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Bill – To give the state more power over inspections instead of the Governor.
• Anna University (Amendment) Bill – To let the state appoint the Vice-Chancellor, not the Governor.
• Madras University (Amendment) Bill – To remove the Governor as Chancellor and let the state choose the Vice-Chancellor.
• Bharathiar University (Amendment) Bill – To shift control of the Vice-Chancellor appointment to the state.
• Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill – To give the state more say in university decisions.
• Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University (Amendment) Bill – To reduce the Governor’s role in appointing officials.
• Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Bill – To let the state handle university leadership.
• Tamil Nadu Open University (Amendment) Bill – To change how the university is run, with less Governor control.
• Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University (Amendment) Bill – To give the state power to appoint key officials.
• Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Bill – To update rules for many universities, reducing the Governor’s authority.

These bills, passed between 2020 and 2023, were stuck with the Governor for up to five years. Now, with the court’s ruling, they are finally cleared, giving Tamil Nadu more control over its universities. The court used its special powers under Article 142 to make this happen, saying it was needed for justice.