MUKESH K. TRIPATHI vs SR.DIVN.MANAGER, L.I.C. — C.A. No. 1208 - 1209/2001

The Supreme Court dismissed Mukesh K. Tripathi's appeal, holding that he was not a "workman" under the Industrial Disputes Act. Though appointed as an Apprentice Development Officer by LIC in 1987 and discharged in 1988, the Court ruled that apprentices undergoing training are trainees, not workers, under the Apprentices Act, 1961, and cannot claim workman status absent proof of actual performance of skilled, manual, technical, or clerical work. The Court rejected the earlier S.K. Verma precedent as per incuriam, reaffirming that mere absence of supervisory duties is insufficient to establish workman status. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.