On Bills reserved for consideration of the President

Article 201 empowers the President to assent or withhold assent to a Bill reserved by a Governor for the President's consideration. If the President returns the Bill with any message, the State Legislature shall reconsider the Bill accordingly within a period of six months for presentation again to the President for his consideration.

States have expressed concern that Bills so submitted sometimes are indefinitely retained at the Central level even beyond the life of the State Legislature. Allowing the democratic will of the State Legislature to be restricted by centre is questionable in the context of 'basic features'

of the Constitution (federal character of the constitution). Therefore the President should decide consenting or withholding consent in reasonable time to be communicated to the State. A period of six months prescribed in Article 201 for State Legislature to act when the Bill is returned by the President can be made applicable for the President also to decide on assenting or withholding assent to a Bill reserved for consideration of the President.