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After a Bill has been passed by the Houses of the Parliament, it is presented to the President who may either give assent to the Bill or withhold his assent. The President may
Explanation
Under Article 111 of the Indian Constitution, when a Bill (other than a Money Bill) is presented to the President after being passed by both Houses of Parliament, the President has three options: give assent, withhold assent, or return the Bill [1]. Specifically, the President may, 'as soon as possible' after presentation, return the Bill with a message requesting that the Houses reconsider the Bill or specific provisions. While the Constitution does not impose a specific time limit for the President to declare assent or withhold it, the provision for returning the Bill explicitly mentions the 'as soon as possible' timeframe [1]. Crucially, if the Houses pass the Bill again (with or without amendments) and present it back to the President, the President is constitutionally obligated to grant assent and cannot withhold it a second time [1].
Sources
- [1] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 14: The State Legislature > INTRODUCTION TO THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA > p. 289