Section 90: Reference to competent authority
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Section 90 — Governs reference to competent authority and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability…
The Code was commenced in stages: section 142 had earlier commencement, S.O. 5319(E) brought the specified provisions into force from 21 November 2025, and later commencement instruments must be read with the current India Code footnotes for the remaining clauses.
Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗
Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does
Operative clauses
- (2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability incurred under this Chapter.
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
Employee / worker, Authority / officer
Full statutory text — Section 90
90. Reference to competent authority.—(1) If any question arises in any proceedings under this
Chapter as to the liability of any person to pay compensation (including any question as to whether a person
injured is or is not an employee) or as to the amount or duration of compensation (including any question
as to the nature or extent of disablement), the question shall, in default of agreement, be settled by a
competent authority.
(2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or
under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any
liability incurred under this Chapter.How to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — (2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability incurred under this Chapter.
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Employee / worker, Authority / officer.
Rules, forms and cross-references
Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping
Forms mapped
No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.
Other sections cited in this text
Related Labour Hub resources
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
For a worker/member seeking a benefit connected with reference to competent authority, the file should show coverage, service/contribution facts, the rule/scheme and prescribed form, and the calculation/payment. One statutory point to test is: “(2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability incurred under this Chapter.”
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 90
What does Section 90 of the Social Security Code cover?
Section 90 — Governs reference to competent authority and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability…
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 90?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(2) No Civil Court shall have jurisdiction to settle, decide or deal with any question which is by or under this Chapter required to be settled, decided or dealt with by a competent authority or to enforce any liability incurred under this Chapter.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 90 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 90?
No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in the official section text.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 90?
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 90 currently operative?
The Code was commenced in stages: section 142 had earlier commencement, S.O. 5319(E) brought the specified provisions into force from 21 November 2025, and later commencement instruments must be read with the current India Code footnotes for the remaining clauses.
Source & verification trail
Act: Code on Social Security, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗
Central Rules: Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 344(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.