'Industry' Definition Reference : Live Updates From Supreme Court 9-Judge Bench [Day 2]

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18 March 2026 10:44 AM IST

  • Industry Definition Reference : Live Updates From Supreme Court 9-Judge Bench [Day 2]
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    The Supreme Court constitution bench will continue its hearing on the correctness of the definition of “industry” given by then Justice VR Krishna Iyer in the 1978 decision in Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa.

    This is the second day of the hearing.

    A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice BV Nagarathna, Justice PS Narasimha, Justice Dipankar Datta, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Vipul Pancholi is hearing the matter.

    Follow this page for the live updates. Report of first day's hearing can be read here.

    Live Updates

    • 18 March 2026 11:44 AM IST

      J Datta: In 226, the court will examine facts Mr Farasat and analyse evidence? power is much limited. J Iyer says that if inquiry is faulty, the employer can prove the charges before the tribunal. where do you get it in 226?

    • 18 March 2026 11:43 AM IST

      Farasat: concerns can be what will happen when these areas are excluded? gov employees, class IV to class I, covered under Article 309 or Service law enacted in Entry 70, List I or Entry 40, list II, there the protections are much better

    • 18 March 2026 11:40 AM IST

      Farasat: the incorporation of the above limits makes it unneccessary to carve out exemptions such as sovereign functions etc

    • 18 March 2026 11:39 AM IST

      Farasat: introduction of the limiting principle of commercial activitty will ensure that all gov activities which are pursuant to Part IV of the Constitution, that is DPSP, are ipso facto excluded unless the gov chooses to carry out them commercial term. Eg- supply of electricitiy by gov at competitive market rate will not be excluded

    • 18 March 2026 11:39 AM IST

      Farasat: non commercial enterprises, whether governmental or private, which includes charitable, will stand excluded from the definition of industry. Professional services such as doctors, lawyers shall also stand excluded.

    • 18 March 2026 11:36 AM IST

      Farasat: especially intellectual services. So I rely on the latter part of the definition.

    • 18 March 2026 11:36 AM IST

      Farasat: the entire question of industrial dispute arose from the industrial revolution in the context of England in particular and the working conditions therein. Expanding it to services because the word services has been used would be slightly out of text

    • 18 March 2026 11:35 AM IST

      Farasat: mylords may begin the text as beginining point but at some point it will have to bring the implication of policy.

    • 18 March 2026 11:35 AM IST

      Farasat: second, industry is limited to services that primarily operate through physical manual labour

    • 18 March 2026 11:32 AM IST

      Farasat: the underlying portion has been directly borrowed from sadfargung. Plus we have consciously not used profit as it is a slightly more aggresive term.

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