Official UPSC Format

Consider the following statements:
I. The Constitution of India explicitly mentions that in certain spheres the Governor of a State acts in his/her own discretion.
II. The President of India can, of his/her own, reserve a bill passed by a State Legislature for his/her consideration without it being forwarded by the Governor of the State concerned.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. I. The Constitution of India explicitly mentions that in certain spheres the Governor of a State acts in his/her own discretion.

2. II. The President of India can, of his/her own, reserve a bill passed by a State Legislature for his/her consideration without it being forwarded by the Governor of the State concerned.

⚡ Quick Recall Snippet

The Indian Constitution grants the Governor specific discretionary powers under Article 163. While the Governor can reserve state legislative bills for the President under Article 200, the President has no constitutional power to unilaterally summon or reserve a state bill.

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Detailed Solution & Authority Citations

Correct Answer is Option A
This question tests the exact procedural boundaries of executive discretion as outlined in Articles 163, 200, and 201 of the Constitution.
  • Statement I is Correct: Unlike the President (who has no explicit constitutional discretion), Article 163(1) explicitly states there are functions where the Governor is required to act in his discretion. Furthermore, Article 163(2) makes the Governor the final judge on whether a matter falls under his discretionary purview (e.g., reserving bills, recommending President's Rule).

  • Statement II is Incorrect: The Constitution maintains a strict federal chain of custody for legislation. Under Article 200, the power to reserve a state bill for the President's consideration lies exclusively with the Governor. The President has absolutely no constitutional authority to 'suo motu' (on his own) intervene, summon, or reserve a bill directly from a State Legislature if the Governor has not forwarded it.

    • 🚨 The Examiner's Trap

    Statement II is a classic logical trap. Students know the President eventually considers some state bills (Article 201), so they might incorrectly assume the President has a proactive 'suo motu' power to demand them, ignoring the procedural necessity of the Governor's referral (Article 200).

    Active Recall Flashcard

    Tap to Flip

    Can the President of India unilaterally (suo motu) reserve a bill passed by a State Legislature?

    No, only the Governor can reserve a State bill for the President's consideration (Article 200).

    Concept Flow Mapping

    Governor
    Has Discretionary Powers Under
    Article 163
    Governor
    Can Reserve State Bills Under
    Article 200
    President
    Cannot Unilaterally Reserve
    State Bills

    Logic Quest

    "Why does the Constitution not allow the President to suo motu reserve state bills?"

    Not analyzing core concepts like Federal Legislative Checks and Executive Discretion through the lens of Previous Year Questions is a serious miss-out. This PYQ engine is specifically designed to help you decode the examiner's mindset and master highly probable Indian Polity questions for your upcoming Prelims.