Tamil Nadu Governor Clears 95% Bills Within 3 Months: Raj Bhavan Clarifies Amid Supreme Court Challenge

The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan issued a clarification on Friday stating that Governor RN Ravi has approved the vast majority of bills passed by the state assembly since 2021 without significant delay. This statement comes amid ongoing tensions as the state government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Governor's decision to reserve the Kalaignar University Bill for presidential consideration.

According to the Raj Bhavan statement, 81 percent of bills passed since 2021 have received the Governor's assent, with 95 percent of these approvals occurring within a three-month timeframe. The statement further noted that 13 percent of bills were referred to the President, and 60 percent of those referrals were based on recommendations from the Tamil Nadu government itself. Additionally, eight bills submitted in late October remain under active consideration by the Governor's office.

The Raj Bhavan also mentioned that ten bills were initially withheld by Governor Ravi, with his decisions being communicated to the government. However, these bills were subsequently passed again by the State Assembly and resubmitted for his consideration.

This clarification follows a significant Supreme Court ruling last month that criticized the Raj Bhavan for delays in processing bills, including cases where legislation was "incorrectly" referred to the President. The Court established specific timelines for gubernatorial actions—whether granting assent, returning bills, or referring them to the President—and imposed a three-month deadline for presidential decisions on referred bills. In an unprecedented move, the Court also invoked its constitutional authority to declare that ten bills previously reserved by the Governor are now deemed to have received assent.

The state government and Raj Bhavan have been locked in a prolonged dispute over control of state universities, particularly regarding the appointment of vice-chancellors. The DMK government has passed multiple bills aimed at replacing the Governor with the Chief Minister as chancellor of universities across the state.

The Kalaignar University Bill, passed in April, proposes establishing a new university in Kumbakonam by dividing Bharathidasan University. This initiative is intended as a tribute to former chief minister M Karunanidhi, who is the father of current Chief Minister MK Stalin.

As the DMK-led government prepares for the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections, it has accused both the BJP and Raj Bhavan of deliberately impeding development and undermining the democratically elected government. This reflects a broader pattern where opposition-governed states have frequently alleged that the BJP-led Central government utilizes governors to establish parallel administrations in non-BJP states—accusations that the BJP consistently denies.