Supreme Court: Only 4 of 9 judges back new 'industry' test in Uttar Pradesh case

The Supreme Court was tasked with resolving this interpretive question, which had been referred to a Nine-Judge Bench due to conflicting prior judgments.

Who it concerns: Appellant: State of Uttar Pradesh; Respondent: Jai Bir Singh (and others in consolidated appeals); Bench: Nine-Judge Bench led by CJI Surya Kant, including Satish Chandra Sharma J., Alok Aradhe J., and Vipul M. Pancholi J.

What the court decided

• The Court addressed the question of whether the Social Forestry Department constitutes an 'industry' under Section 2(j) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
• The Court noted that the provision in question is no longer in force due to the enactment of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, but the appeals were instituted prior to these changes.
• The Court stated it is incumbent upon it to finally adjudicate the issue to bring the matter to a reasoned and authoritative quietus, despite the intervening statutory transformation.

Also in the document

• The judgment is reportable and designated as 2026 INSC 897.
• The Court acknowledged that the definition of 'industry' under Section 2(j) has been a subject of sustained judicial engagement for decades.
• The Court noted that the appeals stand in a 'doctrinal and procedural liminality' because they are neither governed by the new legislative framework nor conclusively resolved under the erstwhile definition.