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Industrial Relations Code, 2020 · CHAPTER III — TRADE UNIONS

Section 19: Right to inspect books of Trade Union

Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026

Section 19 — Governs right to inspect books of trade union and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: The books of account of a registered Trade Union and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.

Full official textSource checked: 20 August 20260 direct Central Rule link(s)

Current-law status

All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.

Primary sources

Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗

Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does

Operative clauses

The books of account of a registered Trade Union and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.

Provisos, explanations & qualifications

No proviso/explanation was separately extracted from this section text.

Thresholds and timelines in the text

No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in this section text.

Actors expressly appearing in the text

Trade union

Full statutory text — Section 19

Official English text transcribed from the current India Code consolidation; page headers/line breaks are normalised for web reading. The Gazette/India Code PDF remains authoritative for typography, amendment footnotes and schedules.

19. Right to inspect books of Trade Union.—The books of account of a registered Trade Union
and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade
Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.

How to apply this provision

Primary statutory test — The books of account of a registered Trade Union and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.
Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Trade union.

Why this is section-specific: the operative-clause, exception, threshold and cross-reference panels above are extracted from Section 19 itself rather than a generic “trigger/control/evidence” template.

Rules, forms and cross-references

Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping

None expressly mapped in the current concordance.

Forms mapped

No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.

Other sections cited in this text

None expressly mapped in the current concordance.

Related Labour Hub resources

Model Standing Orders, 2026 Labour litigation

A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.

Worked example

Suppose an industrial establishment reaches a step governed by right to inspect books of trade union. HR/IR should create a dated file showing coverage, the competent authority/union status, required notice or application, service proof and the result. One operative text point to test is: “The books of account of a registered Trade Union and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.”

Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.

Q&A — Section 19

What does Section 19 of the Industrial Relations Code cover?

What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 19?

The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “The books of account of a registered Trade Union and the list of members thereof shall be open to inspection by an office-bearer or member of the Trade Union at such times as may be provided for in the rules of the Trade Union.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.

Does Section 19 contain a proviso or explanation?

No standalone proviso or explanation was extracted from this section text. Check the full text below for clause-level qualifications.

What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 19?

No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in the official section text.

Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 19?

No direct Central Rule is recorded in the current concordance. That does not exclude a relevant scheme, notification, State rule or enabling provision.

Is Section 19 currently operative?

All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.

Source & verification trail

Act: Industrial Relations Code, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗

Central Rules: Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 342(E), 8 May 2026 ↗

Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗

Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.

Reliance note: This page is an educational legal-reference layer. Verify the current official text, the applicable Central/State rules, notifications, schemes and judicial decisions before acting on a live matter.