In which of the following circumstances can the President effectively exercise a pocket veto (i.e., take no action indefinitely) under Article 111?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is An Ordinary Bill that the President has already once returned and the Houses have re-passed without amendment.
Explanation:
☛ Under Article 111 of the Indian Constitution, when an ordinary bill is presented to the President after being passed by both Houses, the President has three options: give assent, withhold assent, or return it for reconsideration.
☛ If the Parliament passes the bill again (with or without amendments) and presents it, the proviso to Article 111 states that the President "shall not withhold assent therefrom".
☛ However, the Indian Constitution does not prescribe any time limit within which the President must give assent to a bill.
☛ Due to the absence of a constitutional time frame, the President can simply keep the bill pending indefinitely on their desk without taking any action, which effectively amounts to a pocket veto.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Money Bill: Under Article 111, the President cannot return a Money Bill for reconsideration of Parliament because it is introduced with prior presidential recommendation.
☛ Constitutional Amendment Bill: Under the 24th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971, it is mandatory for the President to give assent to a Constitutional Amendment Bill (Article 368); no veto can be exercised.
☛ Pocket Veto History: In 1986, President Gyani Zail Singh famously exercised the pocket veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill.
☛ Suspensive Veto: When the President returns an ordinary bill for reconsideration, it is known as a suspensive veto, which is overridden if Parliament repasses the bill.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with the President's assent to bills? → Article 111
☛ Which type of veto power is not available to the President of India? → Qualified Veto
☛ Which President of India first exercised the pocket veto? → Gyani Zail Singh (in 1986)
☛ Which Constitutional Amendment made it obligatory for the President to assent to Constitutional Amendment Bills? → 24th Amendment Act, 1971
☛ Which Article defines a Money Bill in the Indian Parliament? → Article 110