Answer» Correct Answer - Option 2 : a - IV, b - III, c - II, d - I
The correct answer is a - IV, b - III, c - II, d - I. The table below is correctly matched: | Veto | Action | | Absolute veto | Withholding of assent to the bill | | Qualified veto | Can be overridden by the legislature with a higher majority | | Suspensive veto | Can be overridden by the legislature with an Ordinary majority | | Pocket veto | Neither ratifies nor rejects nor returns the bill |
- Article 111 in India’s Constitution governs the Veto powers of the President. It states that “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 reject or return for re-consideration.
- Types of Veto power
- Absolute Veto – Withholding of assent to the Bill passed by the legislature.
- Qualified Veto – Which can be overridden by the legislature with a higher majority. (Not in India, It's in the US)
- Suspensive Veto – Which can be overridden by the legislature with an ordinary majority.
- Pocket Veto – Taking no action on the Bill passed by the legislature.
- Suspensive Veto of the President
- President uses his suspensive veto when he returns the bill to the Indian Parliament for its reconsideration.
- If the Parliament resends the bill with or without amendment to the Indian President, he has to approve the bill without using any of his veto powers.
- His suspensive veto can be over-ridden by the repassage of the bill by the Indian Parliament
- With respect to state bills, the state legislature has no power to override the suspensive veto of the President.
- Governor can withhold the bill for the President’s consideration and even if the state legislature resends the bill to the governor and governor to President, he still can withhold his assent.
- When the Parliament resends the bill to the President, it has to follow only the ordinary majority.
- President cannot exercise his suspensive veto in relation to Money Bill.
- Pocket Veto of the President
- The bill is kept pending by the President for an indefinite period when he exercises his pocket veto.
- He neither rejects the bill nor returns the bill for reconsideration.
- Constitution does not give any time limit to President within which he has to act upon the bill.
- Therefore, the President uses his pocket veto where he doesn’t have to act upon the bill.
- Unlike the American President who has to resend the bill within 10 days, the Indian President has no such time rule.
- In 1986, President Zail Singh exercised this pocket veto.
- Absolute Veto of the President
- When the President exercises his absolute veto, a bill never sees the day of the light.
- The bill ends even after being passed by the Indian Parliament and does not become an act.
- President uses his absolute veto in the following two cases:
- When the bill passed by the Parliament is a Private Member Bill.
- When the cabinet resigns before President could give his assent to the bill. The new cabinet may advise the President to not give his assent to the bill passed by the old cabinet.
- In 1954, it was exercised by Dr. Rajendra Prasad as a President and later in 1991, it was used by the then President R Venkataraman.
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