In a significant constitutional verdict settling the friction between Raj Bhavans and elected governments, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that the judiciary cannot prescribe rigid timelines for Governors to grant assent to Bills passed by State Assemblies. However, the Apex Court firmly clarified that Governors cannot sit on Bills indefinitely, asserting that “prolonged or unexplained delays” could invite judicial review.

A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Chief Justice of India BR Gavai , and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, PS Narasimha, and AS Chandurkar delivered the verdict on a Presidential reference. The reference sought clarity following a prior two-judge bench ruling in the Tamil Nadu Governor case, which had effectively set a deadline for the President and Gover

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