Article 200 — Article 200 — Assent to Bills by Governor

When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of a State or, in the case of a State having a Legislative Council, has been passed by both Houses of the Legislature of the State, it shall be presented to the Governor and the Governor shall declare either that he assents to the Bill or that he withholds assent therefrom or that he reserves the Bill for the consideration of the President: Provided that the Governor may, as soon as possible after the presentation to him of the Bill for assent, return the Bill, if it is not a Money Bill, together with a message requesting that the House or Houses will reconsider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The article has been the site of significant constitutional controversy in the 2020s, as several Governors of opposition-ruled states sat on bills for months or years without assenting or returning them, creating a constitutional limbo. The Supreme Court in 2023 held that the Governor cannot sit on bills indefinitely and must act within a reasonable time.

• Article 153
• Article 163
• Article 201
• Article 213

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026