The Supreme Court constitution bench is hearing a petition challenging the definition of industry given by Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer in the 1978 judgment of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v. A. Rajappa. The matter is being heard on the second day, with a nine‑judge panel led by the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and other senior judges.
Key Developments (Day 2)
- At 4:24 PM, Justice Chandrachud noted that the earlier judgment pronounced on 21 Feb by seven judges under Article 145 included two fully formulated opinions (by Justice Iyer and Chief Justice Beg) that were in complete concurrence.
- Advocate Singh, quoting the bench, likened the state's regulatory role to a United Nations‑like umbrella, emphasizing the need for procedural safeguards before imposing punitive measures on employees.
Important Facts
- The bench comprises Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice B.V. Nagarathna, Justice P.S. Narasimha, Justice Dipankar Datta, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Justice Alok Aradhe, and Justice Vipul Pancholi.
- The original definition of industry was framed in 1978 and continues to influence labour statutes such as the Industrial Disputes Act.
- The petition challenges the adequacy of the 1978 definition in the context of modern gig‑economy and digital platforms.
Exam Relevance
Understanding the judicial interpretation of "industry" is crucial for GS III (Economy) and GS II (Polity) because:
- It determin