By holding that the judiciary cannot fetter Governors and the President to “one-size-fits-all” timetables or usurp their functions by assuming “deemed consent” of proposed Bills by States, and also clarifying that these authorities cannot resort to “prolonged and evasive inaction”, the Supreme Court’s answer to the 16th Presidential Reference appears as a constitutional balancing act. But, substantively, it is a blow to federalism as it effectively allows Governors unchecked powers to block or delay State legislation without constitutional accountability. This opinion contradicts a progressive judgment in April 2025 that had prescribed three-month timelines and used Article 142 to grant deemed assent to some Bills passed in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The Court invoked separation

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