Ten bills passed by Karnataka legislature pending for President''s assent: Officials

Bengaluru, Nov 12 (PTI) At least 10 bills passed by the Karnataka legislature including one meant for providing four per cent reservation for Muslims in contracts in civil works are pending for Presidential assent, official sources here said on Thursday.

According to them, no bill is pending before the Kanrataka Governor for approval.

The number of Bills pending for the President and Governor gains significance in the backdrop of the Supreme Court on Thursday holding that the court cannot impose any timelines on the two to grant assent to Bills passed by state assemblies. At the same time, the SC said Governors do not have unfettered powers to sit on the Bills for "perpetuity".

In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai also held that "indefinite delay" by the Governors will be open to "limited judicial scrutiny" and that deemed assent of Bills cannot be granted by the apex court by using its plenary power under Article 142. Deemed assent would amount to virtual takeover of the role of a "separate constitutional authority," it said.

Among the bills from the state pending for the President's assent include The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025. It provides for reserving for Muslims, four per cent of contracts in civil works valued up to Rs 2 crore, and goods/services contracts up to Rs 1 crore. It was referred to the centre in June 2025.

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was referred to centre in June 2025. The Bill proposes to collect five per cent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than Rs one crore and 10 per cent from temples whose income is above Rs one crore, to be put into a Common Pool Fund, administered by 'Rajya Dharmika Parishath', which is proposed to be used for Archakas' (priests) welfare and upkeep of 'C' category temples (state controlled) whose annual income is less than Rs five lakh.

Also pending for President's approval are: the Karnataka Public Service Commission (Conduct of Business and Additional Functions) Bill, 2025, referred in July 2025; the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2015, referred in May 2015; the Karnataka Mineral Rights and Mineral Bearing Lands) Tax Bill, 2024, referred in April 2025; the Registration (Karnataka Second Amendment) Bill, 2025, referred in September 2025.

The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, referred in September 2025; the Karnataka Devadasi (Prevention, Prohibition, Relief and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2025, referred in September 2025; the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 1944 (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2022, referred in March 2022; and the Notaries (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2025, referred in April 2025 also await Presidential assent. PTI KSU SA