​Which President of India exercised the pocket veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill?

Correct option is C

The Correct Answer is: (c) Zail Singh

Explanation:
President Zail Singh exercised the pocket veto on the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill, 1986, during the tenure of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The bill sought to empower the government to intercept and detain postal articles on certain grounds, which raised serious concerns about fundamental rights and privacy. Instead of approving or returning the bill, President Zail Singh simply withheld his assent indefinitely, using the pocket veto, a power not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution but practiced.

Information Booster:
• Pocket veto refers to the President taking no action on a bill indefinitely.
• It is not time-bound, unlike the suspensive or absolute veto.
• The term is borrowed from the US system, although not officially defined in India’s Constitution.
• Zail Singh was the 7th President of India (1982–1987).
• The Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill was criticized as infringing on privacy rights.
• The veto reflected the President’s discretion and checks on executive overreach.

Additional Information:
• APJ Abdul Kalam –  Did return a bill (Office of Profit), but did not exercise pocket veto.
• R Venkataraman – Served as President after Zail Singh; no record of pocket veto use.
• Dr. Rajendra Prasad –  India’s first President, but did not use any veto power in this case.