Supreme Court of India

Balco Employees Union (regd.) v. Union of India and Ors.

Neutral citation

Bench B.N. Kirpal, Shivaraj V. Patil and P. Venkatarama Reddi JJ.

Decided 10 December 2001

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

29 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

We hold that the disinvestment by the Government in BALCO was not invalid.

Judgment, page 64

From the headnote

Disinvestment: Disinvestment of 51% equity of Balco, a Public Sector Undertaking, by Central Government to a Strategic Partner and transfer of management thereof—Amenability to Judicial Review—Held, it is an economic policy decision of the Government and hence not amenable to judicial review—Constitution of India, 1950—Articles 32 & 226. Protection of workers' rights and interests—Availability of under the Constitution—Held, not available—However, on facts, sufficient safeguards and protection are built in various agreements entered into with the Strategic Partner besides availability of protection under existing laws—Constitution of India, 1950—Articles 12, 14 and 16.

Authorities it was built on

1970 Rustom Cavasjee Cooper v. Union of India cited by 77
1986 State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors. v. Nandlal Jaiswal & Ors. cited by 65

Where later benches applied it

2024 Kirloskar Ferrous Industries Limited & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. relied on
2023 Orissa Administrative Tribunal Bar Association v. Union of India & Others relied on
2021 Small Scale Industrial Manufactures Association (regd.) v. Union of India and Others relied on
2019 Vasavi Engineering College Parents Association v. State of Telangana and Others relied on
2015 The Kerala Bar Hotels Association &anr. v. State of Kerala & Ors. relied on
2011 Union of India & Ors v. J.D. Suryavanshi relied on
2025 Akola Municipal Corporation and Anr. v. Zishan Hussain Azhar Hussain and Anr. referred to
2025 Satish Chander Sharma & Ors. v. State of Himachal Pradesh & Ors. referred to
2024 Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd. v. Federation of Noida Residents Welfare Association and Others referred to
2024 Association for Democratic Reforms & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2023 Moser Baer Karamchari Union Thr. President Mahesh Chand Sharma v. Union of India and Ors. referred to
2023 Vivek Narayan Sharma v. Union of India referred to
2022 State of Jharkhand v. Shiv Shankar Sharma and Ors. referred to
2022 Noel Harper & Ors. v. Union of India & Anr. referred to
2021 State of Tamil Nadu & Anr. v. National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturist Association referred to
2021 National Confederation of Officers Association of Central Public Sector Enterprises and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors. referred to
2021 Punjab State Co-operative Milk Producers Federation Ltd. & Anr. v. Balbir Kumar Walia & Ors. referred to
2021 Rajeev Suri v. Delhi Development Authority & Ors referred to
2020 Internet and Mobile Association of India v. Reserve Bank of India referred to
2016 State of H.P. & Ors. v. Rajesh Chander Sood Etc. Etc. referred to
2016 State of Rajasthan and Ors. v. Gotan Lime Stone Khanji Udyog Pvt. Ltd. and Anr. referred to
2015 Director General of Foreign Trade and Anr. v. M/s. Kanak Exports and Anr. referred to
2015 Parisonsagrotech (p) Ltd. &anr. v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2014 State of Kerala & Ors. v. B. Surendra Das Etc referred to
2012 Re: Special Reference N0.1 of 2012 v. -- referred to
2012 Centre for Public Interest Litigation and Others v. Union of India and Others referred to
2011 Chatterjee Petrochem (i) Pvt. Ltd. v. Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd. & Ors. referred to
2013 Arun Kumar Agrawal v. Union of India & Others mentioned
2013 Jatya Pal Singh & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. mentioned

Of those, 6 relied on · 21 referred to · 2 mentioned

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