Standing Orders Act to Industrial Relations Code, 2020: section map
Where each part of the old standing orders regime now lives in the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, with a verdict on every row. New-code cells cite the Code section only where the supplied statutory text supports it (Section 30); the other new-code cells describe the mechanism. Old-Act rows are described by subject from the repealed Act, without guessing section numbers.
| Old Act: provision or subject | Where it lives now in the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| The Act as a standalone statute | Repealed; the whole subject folded into the standing orders chapter of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 | Dropped |
| Application to industrial establishments above a worker-count threshold | Standing orders provisions of the Code apply above a worker-count threshold set by the Code (specific number not in the supplied text) | Changed |
| Employer's duty to draw up and submit draft standing orders | IR Section 30(1) and 30(2): employer prepares a draft within six months, based on the model standing orders and the matters in the First Schedule, then forwards it electronically or otherwise to the certifying officer | Changed |
| Consultation with workers before the rules are settled | IR Section 30(2): employer must consult the Trade Unions, the recognised negotiating union or the negotiating council on the draft before forwarding it | Changed |
| Certification of standing orders by a Certifying Officer | IR Section 30: the certifying officer is retained; drafts are forwarded to that officer for certification | Unchanged |
| Model standing orders | IR Section 30(3): adopting the Central Government model standing order is deemed to be certified, subject to the certifying officer's power to direct amendment; the making of the model itself sits in the preceding section (number not in the supplied text) | Changed |
| Matters the standing orders must cover | IR Section 30(1): tied to the First Schedule and the model standing orders | Unchanged |
| Modification of the standing orders | IR Section 30(4): the employer forwards required draft modifications to the certifying officer within six months; duration and later modification after certification sit elsewhere in the chapter (section number not in the supplied text) | Changed |
| Register and posting of the certified standing orders | Carried into the standing orders chapter of the Code (section number not in the supplied text) | Unchanged |
| Subsistence allowance during suspension | Carried into the Code's standing orders framework (section number not in the supplied text) | Unchanged |
| Interpretation of standing orders and reference of disputes | Handled within the Code's standing orders and dispute-resolution provisions (section number not in the supplied text) | Unchanged |
| Penalties for contravention | Moved to the offences and penalties chapter of the Code (section number not in the supplied text) | Changed |
New-code sections are grounded in the supplied statutory text of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 (Section 30). Old-Act references are described by subject from the repealed Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946, not by guessed section numbers.
What changed
The 1946 Act was a short, standalone law. Under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 the same subject is one chapter among many, and the mechanics of getting standing orders in place were rewritten with fixed timelines and an electronic route.
- A hard clock: the employer must prepare draft standing orders within six months of the Code's commencement (IR Section 30(1)).
- Electronic filing: the draft is forwarded to the certifying officer electronically or otherwise (IR Section 30(2)).
- Consultation moved up front: the employer must consult the Trade Unions, the recognised negotiating union or the negotiating council on the draft before it goes to the certifying officer (IR Section 30(2)).
- A shortcut that did not exist before: adopting the Central Government model standing order is deemed to be certified, so a compliant employer can skip a full contested certification (IR Section 30(3)).
- Modifications also carry a six-month window to be drafted and forwarded (IR Section 30(4)).
- The establishment-size threshold that pulls an employer into the standing orders regime is set by the Code and differs from the old figure (specific number not in the supplied text).
What stayed the same
The architecture the 1946 Act invented survives intact. Covered industrial establishments still cannot run on unwritten, ad hoc terms: they must have standing orders, those orders are certified by a public officer, and the content is anchored to a prescribed list of matters.
- The certifying officer is retained as the authority that certifies standing orders (IR Section 30).
- The duty to reduce conditions of employment to writing and get them certified continues for covered establishments.
- The matters the orders must address are still pinned to a schedule and to model standing orders (First Schedule, IR Section 30(1)).
- Model standing orders remain the template and fallback, as they were under the old Act.
- Downstream features of the old regime, the register of certified orders, posting to workers, subsistence allowance during suspension and interpretation of orders, continue in substance inside the Code's standing orders chapter (section numbers not in the supplied text).
What was dropped or newly added
Dropped: the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 no longer exists as a separate statute. There is no standalone standing orders law to cite; every reference now points into the Industrial Relations Code, 2020.
Newly added: deemed certification of an adopted Central Government model order (IR Section 30(3)), express six-month clocks for the initial draft and for modifications (IR Section 30(1) and 30(4)), an explicit electronic filing route (IR Section 30(2)), and up-front consultation with the recognised negotiating union or negotiating council, a body that comes from the Code's own recognition machinery (IR Section 30(2)).
On the supplied text I do not identify a specific substantive worker protection that was deleted; the pieces of the old regime are carried over rather than removed. Treat that as described, not as a cited finding.
Transition traps for employers
- Do not assume your existing certified standing orders roll over automatically. Confirm whether you must re-draft and re-file within the six-month window in IR Section 30(1), and check the Code's savings schedule.
- Do not forward a draft without the consultation step. IR Section 30(2) requires consulting the Trade Unions, negotiating union or negotiating council first, and a draft that skips it invites a send-back.
- Adopting the model is not silent self-service. Under IR Section 30(3) you still forward the information to the certifying officer, who can direct you to amend.
- Watch the threshold. An establishment covered under the old rule may fall in or out under the Code's own worker count; do not assume identical coverage, and verify the number before deciding you are exempt.
- Modifications have their own six-month clock (IR Section 30(4)); missing it is easy when you are focused on the initial filing.
- The Central Rules notified on 8 May 2026 carry the prescribed manner and forms; old State forms and formats may no longer be valid, so re-check the current form before filing.
How to confirm
Before you rely on any section number, threshold or form on this page, read Chapter IV (Standing Orders) of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 in full and open the Code's repeal-and-savings schedule on indiacode.nic.in. Only IR Section 30 and the First Schedule reference here are grounded in the statutory extract we worked from; every place this page says a subject lives in the Code without a section number is a signpost to verify, not a citation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 still in force?
No. It is repealed. Its subject is now governed by the standing orders chapter of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, which came into force on 21 November 2025.
Do we still need certified standing orders?
Yes, for covered establishments. The certifying officer and the certification requirement survive under IR Section 30; you draft, consult and forward for certification, or you adopt the Central Government model standing order.
What is the single biggest change?
Adopting the Central Government model standing order is now deemed to be certified (IR Section 30(3)), and there are explicit six-month windows to file the draft and any modifications (IR Section 30(1) and 30(4)).
Do our existing certified standing orders still apply?
Do not assume so. Check the Code's repeal-and-savings schedule and, if required, re-file within the six-month window. Verify the current position on indiacode.nic.in before relying on old orders.
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