In an unprecedented move in Indian constitutional history, the Tamil Nadu Government has officially brought into effect 10 state laws after the Supreme Court ruled that they were “deemed to have been assented to” by Governor RN Ravi. This ruling came after a prolonged delay by the Governor and his unconstitutional referral of the bills to the President.
The government issued the official notification today, just a day after the Supreme Court’s judgment was uploaded. For the first time ever, laws are being enforced not through a Governor’s assent but by the authority of a Supreme Court judgment.
“History is made — these are the first Acts in India to come into force without the signature of the Governor or President, relying solely on a Supreme Court ruling,” noted Senior Advocate and DMK MP P. Wilson on X. Notably, some of these Acts transfer the role of University Chancellor from the Governor to the Chief Minister.
The ruling was delivered by a bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, who held that the Governor had no power to reserve the 10 Bills for the President’s assent after they were re-passed by the Legislative Assembly. These bills had initially been withheld by the Governor but were reintroduced by the state government. Therefore, the Court concluded that the Bills should be considered assented to as of November 18, 2023, the date they were re-submitted.
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As per the government notification referencing the Supreme Court’s April 8, 2025 judgment (W.P.(C) No.1239/2023), “…all actions of the Hon’ble President after the reservation of the said Bills are non-est in law, and the Bills shall be deemed to have been assented to by the Hon’ble Governor on the date they were presented for assent.”
The 10 Notified Acts Are:
- The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2020
- The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2020
- The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022
- The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Act, 2022
- The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai (Amendment) Act, 2022
- The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Act, 2022
- The Tamil University (Second Amendment) Act, 2022
- The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2023
- The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2023
This landmark development marks a turning point in the relationship between state governments and constitutional authorities, setting a new precedent for legislative functioning in India.
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