When the President of India keeps a bill pending for an indefinite period, neither giving nor withholding assent nor returning it, it is called a:

When the President neither gives assent to a bill, nor rejects it, nor returns it to Parliament, but simply keeps it pending for an indefinite period, he is said to exercise a pocket veto.

Why the pocket veto is possible:

• The Constitution does not lay down any time limit within which the President must act on an ordinary bill presented to him.
• So the President can, in effect, "keep the bill in his pocket".
• This is different from the United States, where the President must return a bill within ten days; if Congress adjourns in that period, the bill dies, which is the American pocket veto.
• The Indian President's pocket veto is therefore wider than that of the American President.

Bills to which it applies:

• The pocket veto can be used on ordinary bills passed by Parliament.
• It cannot be used on Constitution Amendment Bills, because the 24th Amendment Act, 1971 made it obligatory for the President to give assent to such bills.
• It is not used on Money Bills, which are introduced with the President's prior recommendation.

Other kinds of veto:

• An absolute veto means withholding assent, so that the bill does not become law.
• A qualified veto, which can be overridden by a higher majority of the legislature, is not available to the Indian President.
• The President can also return a bill for reconsideration, but if Parliament passes it again, he must give assent.

State Governors:

• The Governor may reserve certain bills passed by the state legislature for the consideration of the President.
• Delays by Governors in acting on state bills have led to several disputes in recent years.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Absolute veto is outright refusal of assent.
• ✗Qualified veto does not exist for the Indian President.
• ✗"Legislative veto" is not a type of presidential veto in India.