Part V - Parliament • Article

Article 111 Simplified: Assent to Bills

Article 111 is the 'Final Signature' rule. No bill becomes a law until the President signs it. The President can: 1) Sign it (Assent). 2) Keep it (Withhold Assent). 3) Send it back to Parliament to reconsider (Veto). However, if Parliament passes it again and sends it back, the President MUST sign it the second time.

Official Text

When a Bill has been passed by the Houses of Parliament, it shall be presented to the President, and the President shall declare either that he assents to the Bill, or that he withholds assent therefrom: Provided that the President may, as soon as possible after the presentation to him of a Bill for assent, return the Bill if it is not a Money Bill to the Houses with a message requesting that they will reconsider the Bill or any specified provisions thereof and, in particular, will consider the desirability of introducing any such amendments as he may recommend in his message, and when a Bill is so returned, the Houses shall reconsider the Bill accordingly, and if the Bill is passed again by the Houses with or without amendment and presented to the President for assent, the President shall not withhold assent therefrom.

Simple Meaning

Explain Like Ten

When both Houses of Parliament finish writing a new law, they send it to the President to sign. The President can sign it, wait, or send it back for a rethink. But if they pass it again, the President has to sign it!

Student Mode

Article 111 outlines the options available to the President when a Bill is presented for assent: (1) Grant assent (Bill becomes Act); (2) Withhold assent (Bill dies, e.g., absolute veto); (3) Return the Bill (suspensive veto) with a message for reconsideration (only for non-Money Bills). If Parliament repasses the Bill with or without amendments, the President *must* give assent. Note: The Constitution specifies no timeline for assent ('as soon as possible'), which allows for a 'pocket veto' (as done by President Zail Singh with the Indian Post Office Amendment Bill in 1986).

Example

If a controversial law is passed, the President might send it back to Parliament for a rethink. But if the government insists and passes it again, the President has to sign it under Article 111.

Key Takeaway

The President is the final authority to turn a Bill into an Act.

FAQs

Can the President veto a Money Bill?

The President can assent or withhold assent to a Money Bill, but cannot return it to Parliament for reconsideration. Since Money Bills are introduced on the President's recommendation, they are usually assented to.

What happens if the President returns a bill and Parliament passes it again?

Under Article 111, if the bill is passed again by both Houses (even without any changes) and presented to the President, the President is constitutionally bound to give their assent.

What is a Pocket Veto?

Since Article 111 does not specify a time limit for the President to act, the President can keep a bill pending indefinitely on their desk, effectively killing it. This is known as a pocket veto.

Quiz

If a Bill is passed again by both Houses after being returned by the President for reconsideration:

Answer: The President must give assent

Which type of Bill cannot be returned by the President for reconsideration under Article 111?

Answer: Money Bill