President Murmu Withholds Assent to Three University Bills Passed by LDF Govt in Kerala

President Droupadi Murmu has declined to give assent to the bill that sought to replace the Kerala Governor as Chancellor of Universities in the state. The bill was referred to Rashtrapati Bhavan for consideration by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

In a significant development, President Droupadi Murmu has withheld assent to three university bills passed by the state legislature in Kerala, including one aimed at divesting Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan from the position of Chancellor of Universities.

The bills in question, referred to Rashtrapati Bhavan for consideration by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, have been denied assent by President Murmu. Among them is the bill replacing the Kerala Governor as University Chancellor, signaling a marked setback for the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala.

However, there's a silver lining for the state government as President Murmu approved the Kerala Lok Ayukta Bill passed by the state assembly, as confirmed by the Raj Bhavan in a statement.

In response to the development, a statement from the Kerala Raj Bhavan noted, "It is informed that the President of India has withheld assent to the following bills, which Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had referred to Rashtrapati Bhavan for consideration."

The bills withheld include the Kerala University Laws Amendment Bill 2022, the University Law Amendment Bill 2022, and the University Law Amendment Bill 2021. This decision comes after the Governor referred a total of seven bills to the Rashtrapati Bhavan in November 2023, with assent granted to only one bill, namely the Kerala Lokayukta Amendment Bill 2022.

The friction between the Governor and the Government has led to a significant backlog of bills pending with the Raj Bhavan, with eight bills passed by the State Assembly in the last two years awaiting resolution. Last November, the Government moved the Supreme Court against the Governor, citing delays in clearing bills.

Following Supreme Court intervention, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan gave assent to one of the eight bills pending with him, namely the Kerala Public Health Bill, while the rest were reserved for presidential assent.

The trio of bills pertaining to higher education and university governance sought to restrict the powers of the governor in universities and aimed to provide the government with greater authority in the appointment of Vice-Chancellors. However, with their withholding, the fate of these reforms remains uncertain amidst ongoing political tensions in the state.