Supreme Court Reformulates the 1978 'Triple Test' to Redefine 'Industry' in Narrow 5:4 Majority Ruling

Gist - SC Ruling: A 9-judge Constitution Bench in a 5:4 majority held that the definition of “industry” under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 needs modification. - Bangalore Water Supply Case: The Court retained the 1978 framework but directed reformulation of the “triple test” . - Significance: The definition determines workers’ access to legal remedies concerning wages, strikes and dismissals . - UPSC Link: Key development in labour jurisprudence affecting employees of private and state employers . Background - Under Section 2 j of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 , the classification of a workplace as an "industry" determines whether its workers enjoy statutory protections against arbitrary dismissal and possess rights concerning working hours and strikes. - In 1978 , a seven-judge Supreme Court bench in the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board v A Rajappa case drastically expanded this definition by establishing the "triple test" . - The test classified an entity as an industry if it involved a systematic activity , organised by cooperation between employer and employee , for the production or distribution of goods and services…