New Delhi, Nov. 20 -- The Supreme Court will on Thursday deliver its advisory opinion on a rare presidential reference that asks whether constitutional courts can prescribe timelines for the President and governors to act on state bills -- a question that cuts to the heart of separation of powers, federalism and constitutional silences.

The opinion comes more than two months after a constitution bench reserved its decision on September 11, following marathon hearings that probed the limits of judicial authority when executive inaction risks paralysing democratic processes.

On September 11, after ten days of extensive arguments, the five-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai and justices Surya Kant, Vikram N...