India, April 13 -- The Supreme Court's decision to impose timelines on the conduct of not just governors but also the presidential office, when it comes to giving assent for a bill passed by a state legislature, is unprecedented and a milestone in the journey of Indian federalism. In this verdict, which came against the backdrop of a number of governors sitting indefinitely on bills passed by states not controlled by the BJP, three things are of note.

One, the court clearly viewed the so-called pocket veto of governors, who were either sitting indefinitely on bills or referring it to the President even in cases where the legislature had re-passed a bill and sent it back to the Raj Bhavan, as a breakdown of constitutional order. The verdi...