Ten bills passed by Karnataka legislature pending for President's assent: Officials
Bengaluru (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.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, that is pending since 2015, seeks to make the mother tongue or Kannada as the medium of instruction for Classes 1-5.
This bill was introduced after the Supreme Court in 2014 rejected Karnataka;s case and said that the government cannot "impose the mother tongue" in primary education.
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Arnab Goswami’s Homecoming? Anchor tears into Modi Government over aviation chaos
Says, govt not going to be happy with us saying this
New Delhi: In a striking turn that surprised even his regular viewers, Arnab Goswami spent the evening of December 4 taking direct aim at the central government over the ongoing crisis in the domestic aviation sector. The debate, aired on Republic, focused entirely on the severe disruption caused by IndiGo flight cancellations and the state of air travel in the country. The tone was sharp, emotional, and openly critical, raising the larger question of whether this marks a homecoming of sorts for the anchor long accused by critics of being soft on the government.
Goswami began the show by saying the central government had “completely let down” air passengers. He pointed to chaotic visuals from airports in Pune, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, describing passengers packed into crowded spaces, long queues, and travellers lying on the floor with little access to basic facilities. He said anyone travelling with children or elderly parents would understand the distress such situations cause.
According to him, the government often claims to have improved the aviation sector, but the day-to-day experience of passengers tells a different story. He argued that whatever help the government may have extended has benefited individuals and individual companies, not the sector as a whole.
Goswami highlighted data from the last three days, saying IndiGo had canceled 1,232 flights in November. He broke down the reasons for the cancellations: 755 linked to crew and FDTL constraints, 258 due to airspace and airport restrictions, 92 because of failures in air traffic control systems, 127 for other reasons.
He said passengers in India are often “taken for granted” and that only in this country can such large-scale cancellations take place without consequences.
Throughout the debate, Goswami repeatedly returned to the theme of duopoly. He said Air India and IndiGo together control 91.5 percent of the aviation market, leaving only a small share for others like Akasa and SpiceJet. This, he said, gives the two big players the power to decide prices and escape accountability.
“They can set the prices. They can torture passengers. They can be not answerable for air crashes.” He added.
Goswami also questioned why such a structure is allowed to exist if the government claims it opposes monopolies. He asked whether the government has made Air India accountable after the recent air crash, and said he did not believe so.
“We are told that the Modi government does not like monopolies. First of all, I don't agree with that. There are too many monopolies happening.” He said.
The anchor accused Air India of operating aircraft that were not airworthy and said no serious action followed. According to him, any other minister in charge of civil aviation would have been removed after such incidents, but nothing happened.
“He is not answerable. And why is the central government not bothered about it? Because he comes from the TDP, an alliance party. So let him do,” he said.
He added that Air India continues to seek government support, including compensation for losses after the Sindhur episode. Goswami questioned why public money should be used to support the airline, drawing a comparison with the earlier controversy involving Vijay Mallya seeking help from the Manmohan Singh government a move that was labelled as scam.
Goswami said passengers are suffering because of delayed flights, sudden cancellations, and lack of compensation. He criticised the DGCA, saying it was not enforcing safety and operational norms. He also questioned why the Prime Minister’s Office had not intervened.
He noted that Republic had carried multiple exposés on these issues and claimed that Air India chooses to give interviews and advertisements only to other channels.
He also called for Parliament to debate the aviation mess and examine whether monopolies or duopolies should be allowed in a nation of India’s size.
“I'm sure the government's not going to be happy with us saying this, but someone's got to speak up for the people of this country.” He added.
Known by his critics as the “Godi Media Chief”, Goswami’s direct attack on the Modi government over civil aviation raised eyebrows across media circles.
Whether this is a one-off outburst or a sign of a new editorial direction is something viewers will be watching closely.
#AviationCollapse | India’s aviation sector is in turmoil as IndiGo’s mass cancellations and Air India’s alleged safety lapses leave passengers stranded. The disruption raises serious questions about airline management, regulatory oversight, and who is ultimately responsible for… pic.twitter.com/Dqt6pcoW8w
— Republic (@republic) December 4, 2025
