Governor Reserves Bill for President's Consideration

This question asks about the specific Article within the Indian Constitution that empowers the Governor to reserve a Bill, which has been passed by the State Legislature, for the consideration of the President of India.

Understanding Governor's Legislative Powers

When a Bill is passed by the State Legislature (or both Houses, if bicameral), it is presented to the Governor for assent. The Governor has several options as outlined in Article 200 of the Constitution:

• He can give his assent to the Bill.
• He can withhold his assent to the Bill.
• He can reserve the Bill for the consideration of the President.

Role of Article 201

The question specifically asks about the article under which the Governor reserves the Bill for the President's consideration. While Article 200 details the Governor's power to make this reservation, Article 201 outlines the subsequent procedure and the President's powers once the bill has been reserved.

According to Article 201:

• When a Bill is reserved for the consideration of the President, the President shall consider it.
• The President may, within a period of six months (or such other period as may be prescribed by rules made by Parliament) from the date of receipt of the bill, return the bill (if it is not a Money Bill) with a message to the House or Houses of the State Legislature, requesting them to reconsider the bill or any specified provision thereof.
• The House or Houses shall reconsider the bill accordingly, and if the bill is passed again by the House or Houses with or without amendments, it shall be presented again to the President for his decision.
• The President may assent to the bill or withhold assent therefrom.

Therefore, the act of reservation by the Governor is a step that initiates the process governed by Article 201, focusing on the President's subsequent review and action. The Governor reserves the bill *for* the President's consideration, the handling of which is detailed in Article 201.

Analysis of Options

Let's look at why the other options are not the primary answer in this context:

• Article 199: This Article defines what constitutes a 'Money Bill' in the context of State Legislatures. It does not deal with the Governor's power to reserve bills.
• Article 200: This Article describes the powers of the Governor regarding bills presented to him, including assent, withholding assent, and reserving the bill for the President's consideration. It is closely related as it empowers the Governor to reserve the bill.
• Article 201: This Article specifically deals with the procedure when a bill has been reserved for the President's consideration and the President's subsequent actions (assent, withholding assent, or returning for reconsideration). Given the question focuses on the reservation *for the President's consideration*, Article 201 governs this specific presidential stage initiated by the Governor's reservation.
• Article 356: This Article deals with the imposition of President's Rule in a State due to the breakdown of constitutional machinery. It is unrelated to the reservation of ordinary bills.

Based on the process and the specific actions involved concerning the President's consideration, Article 201 is identified as the relevant Article governing this aspect.