Why in news
- A nine-judge Constitution Bench held that the 1978 Bangalore Water Supply precedent will not automatically apply to the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.
What was the previous regime?
- Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Supreme Court's 1978 Bangalore Water Supply judgment established an expansive definition of 'industry'.
- The wide triple-test included hospitals, educational institutions, and statutory bodies under labour dispute resolution mechanisms.
Key held in the judgment
- Before: Legacy precedent automatically pulled diverse non-profit and public entities into statutory industrial dispute rules.
- After: The Court severed the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (in force since November 2025) from the 1978 ruling, giving the new code a fresh statutory baseline.
Why it matters
- Establishes legal clarity for modern service sectors and statutory bodies under consolidated labour codes.
- Reduces regulatory litigation by preventing automatic application of legacy worker-definition precedents.
Key terms
Industrial Relations Code 2020
A consolidated federal law replacing the Industrial Disputes Act 1947, Trade Unions Act 1926, and Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act 1946.
Prelims facts
- Industrial Relations Code 2020 consolidates three legacy labor statutes including the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
Mains discussion
- Impact of judicial severance of legacy precedents on labor market flexibility and worker protection.
Source: The Hindu
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2022 · Q71 · General Studies · 2 marks
In India, which one of the following compiles information on industrial disputes, closures, retrenchments and lay-offs in factories employing workers? -
2022 · Q20 · General Studies · 2 marks
With reference to Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, consider the following statements: 1. As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, the election of Deputy Speaker shall be held on such date as the Speaker may fix. 2. There is a mandatory provision that the election of a candidate as Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha shall be from either the principal opposition party or the ruling party. 3. The Deputy Speaker has the same power as of the Speaker when presiding over the sitting of the House and no appeal lies against his rulings. 4. The well established parliamentary practice regarding the appointment of Deputy Speaker is that the motion is moved by the Speaker and duly seconded by the Prime Minister. Which of the statements given above are correct? -
2015 · Q10 · GS IV · 20 marks
Case study. There is a disaster-prone State having frequent landslides, forest fires, cloudbursts, flash floods and earthquakes, etc. Some of these are seasonal and often unpredictable. The magnitude of the disaster is always unanticipated. During one of the seasons, a cloudburst caused devastating floods and landslides leading to high casualties. There was major damage to infrastructure like roads, bridges and power generating units. This led to more than 100000 pilgrims, tourists and other locals trapped across different routes and locations. The people trapped in your area of responsibility included senior citizens, patients in hospitals, women and children, hikers, tourists, ruling party's regional president along with his family, additional chief secretary of the neighbouring State and prisoners in jail. As a civil services officer of the State, what would be the order in which you would rescue these people and why? Give justifications. -
2020 · Q7 · General Studies · 2 marks
A constitutional government by definition is a -
2019 · Q85 · General Studies · 2 marks
In the context of polity, which one of the following would you accept as the most appropriate definition of liberty?