Article 200 and 201 of the Constitution of India: Assent to State Bills
Articles 200 and 201 form part of the constitutional procedure governing State legislation after a Bill has been passed by the State Legislature. Article 200 deals with the options available when a State Bill is presented to the Governor. Article 201 deals with a Bill that the Governor has reserved for consideration of the President.
What does Article 200 mean?
Article 200 is titled "Assent to Bills". Once a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of a State, or by both Houses where the State has a Legislative Council, the Bill is presented to the Governor. The constitutional provision then governs what may happen to the Bill.
| Stage | Constitutional position |
|---|---|
| Bill presented to Governor | The Governor considers the Bill under Article 200. |
| Assent | The Governor may assent to the Bill. |
| Withholding assent | Article 200 expressly refers to withholding assent. |
| Reservation | The Governor may reserve the Bill for consideration of the President. |
| Return for reconsideration | If the Bill is not a Money Bill, the Governor may return it with a message requesting reconsideration. If it is passed again and presented to the Governor, Article 200 provides that assent shall not be withheld. |
| High Court safeguard | A Bill that, in the Governor's opinion, would so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger its constitutional position must be reserved for the President. |
Text and effect of Article 200 - Assent to Bills
When a Bill has been passed by the Legislative Assembly of a State or, in a State having a Legislative Council, by both Houses of the State Legislature, it is presented to the Governor. Article 200 provides for assent, withholding of assent, or reservation of the Bill for the consideration of the President.
For a Bill that is not a Money Bill, the first proviso permits the Governor to return it with a message requesting reconsideration of the Bill, specified provisions, or suggested amendments. If the Legislature passes the Bill again, with or without amendment, and presents it again, the Governor shall not withhold assent.
The second proviso requires reservation for the President where, in the Governor's opinion, the Bill would, if it became law, so derogate from the powers of the High Court as to endanger the constitutional position of that Court.
Money Bill and reconsideration
The power to return a Bill for reconsideration under the first proviso to Article 200 applies only where the Bill is not a Money Bill. For the constitutional definition of a Money Bill in a State Legislature, see Articles 198 and 199 of the Constitution of India.
What does Article 201 mean?
Article 201 is titled "Bills reserved for consideration". It applies after the Governor has reserved a State Bill for the consideration of the President. The President may assent to the Bill or withhold assent.
If the reserved Bill is not a Money Bill, Article 201 also permits the President to direct the Governor to return the Bill to the House or Houses of the State Legislature with a message of the kind contemplated by the first proviso to Article 200. The State Legislature must reconsider such a returned Bill within six months from the date it receives the message. If the Bill is passed again, with or without amendment, it is presented again to the President for consideration.
Article 201 - Bill reserved for the President
Where a Bill is reserved by the Governor for the consideration of the President, Article 201 requires the President to decide whether to assent to the Bill or withhold assent.
For a non-Money Bill, the President may direct that the Bill be returned through the Governor for reconsideration by the State Legislature. The Legislature then has six months from receipt of the message to reconsider it. If passed again, the Bill is presented again to the President.
Supreme Court interpretation of Articles 200 and 201
In the 2025 Presidential Reference concerning assent, withholding and reservation of State Bills, the Supreme Court examined the constitutional scheme of Articles 200 and 201. The Court distinguished between the options available under Article 200 and the question of how those options are constitutionally exercised. It also addressed the role of judicial review and the question whether courts may prescribe fixed timelines for the Governor or President where the constitutional text itself does not prescribe such timelines.
Accordingly, older summaries of Article 200 based only on the April 2025 decision in the Tamil Nadu Governor litigation should be read together with the later Constitution Bench opinion dated 20 November 2025. For current research, readers should consult the Constitution itself and the latest Supreme Court decisions rather than relying on a fixed-time-limit summary.
Related constitutional provisions
Articles 200 and 201 operate within the wider State legislative process. Related provisions include Articles 196 and 197 on introduction and passing of Bills and the Legislative Council and Articles 198 and 199 on Money Bills.
Official legal resources
The authoritative constitutional text and current judicial decisions should be checked from official sources. The Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice publishes the Constitution of India, while the Supreme Court of India provides judgments, orders and case information.
This page is a general legal information resource. Constitutional questions may depend on the text of the Bill, the nature of the State legislation, other constitutional provisions requiring Presidential assent, and binding judicial decisions applicable to the particular issue.