India - April 2025

On 4 April, the Indian parliament passed the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, which increases government oversight over properties held by private Muslim trusts (waqfs). The amendments require Waqf boards to appoint non-Muslim members and shifts the power to adjudicate disputes from boards to civil servants. It removes a “Waqf by User” clause, which treated properties without proper documentation as waqf if they were long understood as such. The law does not affect Hindu or other religious endowments, which will not be subject to the same oversight. The government maintains that the bill is intended to improve the administration of Waqf properties. Minority groups and opposition leaders have condemned the bill as unconstitutional, arguing that it infringes on the rights of Muslims and expands government control over the privately-owned endowments. On 17 April, the Supreme Court put a hold on several of the law’s new provisions as they are being challenged at the Court.

On 4 April, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment declaring that state governors cannot indefinitely decline to sign or reject bills passed by state legislatures. The Court further clarified that even the President of India cannot “pocket-veto” a bill without time limits. The ruling arose from a prolonged dispute between the Tamil Nadu government and Governor RN Ravi, who withheld 10 bills, some pending for several years. The Court’s ruling now mandates a specific timeframe within which governors must respond to bills. Political analysts note that the verdict sets an important legal precedent across all Indian states, reinforcing constitutional principles, ensuring judicial oversight and enhancing accountability in legislative processes.

Sources: The New Indian Express, Times of India, The Week, Scroll