On February 13, 2025, President Droupadi Murmu imposed President’s Rule in Manipur, citing the state government’s inability to function as per the Indian Constitution. Acting on a report from the Governor of Manipur, the President exercised her powers under Article 356, assuming control over the state’s administration.
Key Provisions of the President’s Rule
- The President now exercises all executive functions of the Manipur government, previously vested in the Governor.
- The powers of the State Legislature will now be exercised by Parliament.
- Various constitutional provisions related to the Governor, state legislature, and law-making process have been suspended.
Suspended Constitutional Provisions in President’s Rule
The proclamation suspends several constitutional articles, including:
- Governor’s role in legislative matters (Articles 163, 164, 166(3), 167).
- Legislative powers and functioning (Articles 169(1), 174(1)(a), 175-178, 179(b)(c), 180, 181).
- Financial and law-making functions (Articles 188, 189, 193, 194, 196, 198, 199(3)(4), 208-211).
- Governor’s ordinance powers (Article 213(1) and 213(3)).
Impact of President’s Rule
With the state government dissolved, governance in Manipur will now be conducted directly by the Centre through the Governor, acting on behalf of the President. All references to the Governor in the Constitution will be treated as references to the President, and laws of the State Legislature will now be under Parliament’s jurisdiction.
President’s Rule imposed in Manipur #Breaking #Manipur pic.twitter.com/OFfDuTlUbk
— The Frustrated Indian (@FrustIndian) February 13, 2025
The official order from the President Droupadi Murmu stated “I, Droupadi Murmu. President of India, have received a report from the Governor of the State of Manipur and after considering the report and other information received by me, I am satisfied that a situation has arisen in which the Government of that State cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of India (hereinafter referred to as the Constitution); Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by article 356 of the Constitution, and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby proclaim that I- (a) assume to myself as President of India all functions of the Government of the State of Manipur and all powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of the that State; (b) declare that the powers of the Legislature of the said State shall be exercisable by or under the authority of Parliament; and (c) make the following incidental and consequential provisions which appear to me to be necessary or desirable for giving effect to the objects of this Proclamation, namely:-
(1) in exercise of the functions and powers assumed to myself by virtue of clause (a) of this Proclamation as aforesaid, it shall be lawful for me as President of India to act to such extent as I think fit through the Governor of the said State; ii) the operation of the following provisions of the Constitution in relation to that State is hereby suspended, namely: so much of the proviso to article 3 as relates to the reference by the President to the Legislature of the State; so much of clause (2) of article 151 as relates to the laying, before the Legislature of the State, of the reports submitted to the Governor by the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India; articles 163 and 164; so much of clause (3) of article 166 as relates to the allocation among the Ministers of the business of the Government of the State, article 167; so much of clause (1) of article 169 as relates to the passing of a resolution by the Legislative Assembly of a State; clause (1), and sub-clause (a) of clause (2), of article 174; articles 175 to 178 (both inclusive); clauses (b) and (c) of article 179 and the first proviso thereto; articles 180,181, 188, 189, 193, 194, 196 and 198; clauses (3) and (4) of article 199; articles 208 to 211 (both inclusive); the proviso to clause (1), and the proviso to clause (3) of article 213; and so much of clause (2) of article 323 as relates to the laying of the report with a memorandum before the Legislature of the State;
(iii) any reference in the Constitution to the Governor shall, in relation to the said State, be construed as a reference to the President, and any reference therein to the Legislature of the State shall, in so far as it relates to the functions and powers thereof, be construed unless the context otherwise requires, as a reference to the Parliament, and in particular, the references in article 213 to the Governor and to the Legislature of the State, shall be construed as references to the President and to Parliament or to the Houses thereof respectively:
Provided that nothing herein shall affect the provisions of article 153, articles 155 to 159 (both inclusive), article 299 and article 361 and paragraphs 1 to 4 (both inclusive) of the Second Schedule or prevent the President from acting under sub-clause (i) of this clause to such extent as she thinks fit through the Governor of the said State; (iv) any reference in the Constitution to Acts or laws of, or made by, the Legislature of the said State shall be construed as including a reference to Acts or laws made, in exercise of the powers of the Legislature of the said State, by Parliament by virtue of this Proclamation, or by the President or other authority referred to in sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 357 of the Constitution, and the Manipur General Clauses Act, 1966 (Manipur Act 3 of 1966), as in force in the State of Manipur, and so much of the General Clauses Act, 1897 (10 of 1897), as applies to State laws, shall have effect in relation to any such Act or law as if it were an Act of the Legislature of the said State”