New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu has withheld assent for three Bills passed by the Kerala state Legislative Assembly.
The bills, pertaining to higher education and university, are aimed at curtailing the powers of the state Governor, divesting him from the position of Chancellor of universities in Kerala and ostensibly giving an upper hand to the government in appointment of VCs.
However, President Murmu has cleared Kerala Lokayukta Amendment Bill, 2022, curtailing the powers of the anti-corruption watchdog.
“Hon’ble President of India has withheld assent to the following Bills which Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan had referred to Rashtrapati Bhavan for consideration. The bills withheld are Kerala University Laws Amendment No. 2 (Divesting Governor from the position of Chancellor of Universities) Bill 2022, University Law Amendment Bill 2022 (Expansion of Search Committee for the Appointment of Vice Chancellor) and University Law Amendment Bill 2021 (Appellate Tribunal issue and other amendments to Technological University and others). Of the seven bills which Governor Arif Mohammed Khan referred to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in November last year, assent has been accorded to only one Bill, namely, Kerala Lokayukta Amendment Bill 2022. Decision on other three Bills is awaited,” the Raj Bhavan said in an official communication.
Kerala’s ruling CPI(M) government and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan have been at loggerheads over the past few years. The Governor either didn’t give his consent to eight bills in the last two years, or referred them to President Murmu.
After the Kerala government moved Supreme Court against the Governor, highlighting the delay in clearing so many bills, the top court said that Governors could not “thwart the normal course of lawmaking”, as in the case of Punjab government.
The Governor subsequently gave his assent to one of the eight bills, the Kerala Public Health Bill.
The other seven bills were sent for Presidential assent.
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