What happened

A Supreme Court judge supported a purposive interpretation of the term “industry” in India’s labour-law framework under the Industrial Relations Code. The judge’s support reinforces the judicial conclusion that a 1978 interpretation of “industry” cannot be applied mechanically to the Industrial Relations Code’s new statutory framework.

Background and earlier position

In earlier judicial reasoning around labour-law coverage, “industry” was understood through an interpretation associated with 1978. That earlier approach acted as a controlling guide for deciding whether an establishment or activity could be treated as “industry” for labour-law classification.

What changed now

Why it matters for UPSC