A bill which is passed by the Parliament requires the President’s assent to become an act. Article 111 of the Indian constitution enables the President either to give his assent to the bill, withhold his assent to the bill or return the bill to the house.

The President exercises three veto powers:

1. Absolute veto

It refers to the power of the President to withhold his assent to a bill passed by the Parliament. Thus the bill does not become an act.

The President can use absolute veto in generally two cases.

• When the bill passed by the Parliament is a Private member bill.
• In a government bill if the cabinet resigns after passage of such a bill and the new cabinet advises the President not to give his assent to such a bill.

Exception: Absolute veto cannot be used in Constitutional Amendment Bills.

2. Suspensive veto

It refers to the power of the President to return the bill for reconsideration of the Parliament. If the Parliament passes the bill again, the President must give assent to the bill.

Exception: no suspensive veto power in case of money bills.

3. Pocket veto

It refers to the power of president in following cases:

• He neither rejects nor returns the bill.
• He keeps the bill pending for an indefinite period of time.
• He can exercise this power since no limit is given in the constitution.

Pocket veto was exercised by Zail Singh in 1986 when the Rajiv Gandhi government initiated to pass the Post Office Bill.

Thus veto powers of the President are essential to safeguard constitutional principles.