Tamil Nadu makes history, enacts laws without Governor's nod after SC verdict
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, April 13, 2025: In an unprecedented move, the Tamil Nadu government on Saturday notified 10 bills as law—marking the first time in Indian legislative history that laws have come into effect without the signature of a governor or the President.
The development follows a historic Supreme Court judgment on April 8 that deemed Governor RN Ravi’s inaction on pending state bills as "illegal."The Supreme Court’s 415-page ruling, uploaded late Friday, laid down strict timelines to prevent delays by governors in granting assent to state legislation.
Acting swiftly, the Tamil Nadu government formalized the 10 bills into law, many of which transfer the power to appoint and dismiss vice-chancellors in state universities from the governor to the state government.
“This is history in the making,” said DMK MP and senior advocate P. Wilson on X. “These are the first Acts of any legislature in India to have taken effect without the governor’s or President’s signature.”
Of the 10 notified laws, seven are specifically focused on altering the structure of university governance. Although the governor will continue to hold the ceremonial title of chancellor, the real administrative authority will now lie with the state government, led by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
This landmark development is likely to influence similar debates in other Indian states, redefining the balance of power between elected state governments and centrally-appointed governors.