Section 1 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Section 1 is the opening provision of the Apprentices Act, 1961 (Act 52 of 1961). It names the Act, says it extends to the whole of India, leaves the date of commencement to the Central Government, and then says that the Act applies only to areas and industries that the Central Government specifies by notification.
This article is based on the consolidated text of the Act consulted (amended up to Act 29 of 2014). Later amendments should be checked before you rely on it.
The Act may be called the Apprentices Act, 1961 and extends to the whole of India. It comes into force on a date the Central Government appoints, and different dates may be appointed for different States. Under sub-section (4), the Act does not apply to any area or industry unless the Central Government has notified that area or industry. A special apprenticeship scheme notified by the Central Government is also placed outside the Act.
What the long title and enacting words say
The Act is described as "An Act to provide for the regulation and control of training of apprentices and for ... matters connected therewith". In the consolidated copy the words between "for" and "matters" appear as a row of asterisks, with a footnote saying they were omitted by Act 27 of 1973. The enacting words say it was enacted by Parliament in the Twelfth Year of the Republic of India. The prefatory note records that it was introduced as a bill on 19 August 1961.
The copy is headed "Act No. 52 of 1961 as amended by 27 of 1973, 41 of 1986, 4 of 1997, 36 of 2007 and 29 of 2014". Those are the amending Acts the copy shows, and nothing later.
Sub-section by sub-section
| Sub-section | What it says | What it means in practice |
|---|---|---|
| (1) | The Act may be called the Apprentices Act, 1961. | This is the short title used in all references. |
| (2) | It extends to the whole of India. | The copy prints a row of asterisks after this sentence, with a footnote saying words were omitted by Act 25 of 1968. |
| (3) | It comes into force on such date as the Central Government may appoint by notification in the Official Gazette; different dates may be appointed for different States. | Commencement is a matter for notification, State by State if needed. |
| (4)(a) | The Act does not apply to any area, or to any industry in any area, unless the Central Government notifies that area or industry, with effect from a date mentioned in the notification. | Coverage is switched on by notification, not automatically. |
| (4)(b) | Printed as asterisks; the footnote says omitted by Act 27 of 1973. | Omitted. Nothing is said here about what it used to provide. |
| (4)(c) | Any such special apprenticeship scheme for imparting training to apprentices as may be notified by the Central Government in the Official Gazette. | A notified special scheme is also outside the provisions of the Act. |
If you run a business and want to know whether the Act reaches you, the text of section 1 sends you to the notifications. The consolidated copy does not print any such notification, so this article cannot tell you which areas or industries are covered. For that, you need the notifications themselves, and our team can help you find the position for your establishment through our labour law compliance service.
Commencement: what the notes in the copy state
Sub-section (3) leaves the date open, so the copy adds notes on its contents page. As the notes in the consolidated copy state:
- The Act came into force on 1 March 1962 (GSR 246, dated 12 February 1962).
- Act 27 of 1973 came into force with effect from 1 December 1974.
- Act 41 of 1986 came into force with effect from 16 December 1987.
- Act 4 of 1997 came into force with effect from 8 January 1997.
- Act 36 of 2007 came into force with effect from 1 February 2008.
- Act 29 of 2014 came into force with effect from 22 December 2014.
The Gazette copy of the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014 (No. 29 of 2014) says, in its own section 1(2), that it comes into force on such date as the Central Government may appoint by notification. That notification is not in the sources used here, so the date of 22 December 2014 comes only from the note in the consolidated copy.
The amending Act's short title, "the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014", is the only amending Act that this series names by title. For the others, the copy gives only the Act number.
Things to notice in the printed text
- The heading in the body reads "Short title, extent, commencement and application", while the contents list drops "and application".
- Sub-section (4) has clauses (a) and (c) only, because clause (b) is omitted. The numbering is left as it was.
- Clause (a) ends with a colon and is followed by the omitted clause (b) and clause (c), so the layout of the copy reads as if clause (c) hangs from clause (a). We quote it as printed.
- Footnote numbers in this copy stand on a line of their own above the words they mark, which makes the layout of sub-section (4) look broken. It is a feature of the copy, not of the law.
An example
Sunrise Components Pvt Ltd runs a plant in one State and has heard that "the Apprentices Act applies to everyone". Reading section 1(4)(a), its compliance manager, Neha, sees that the Act does not apply to any area or industry unless the Central Government has notified that area or industry. She does not stop at sub-section (1), which says the Act extends to the whole of India. She asks whether a notification covers the plant's area and industry before she plans engagement of apprentices. Extent (the whole of India) and application (notified areas and industries) are two different questions, and section 1 answers them separately.
Where the rest of the Act is explained
Definitions come next in section 2; our two articles on definitions of apprentice, designated trade, employer and establishment and on trade apprentice, graduate apprentice, optional trade and worker take the terms clause by clause. For wider background on skill training in India, see our guide to the Skill India Mission and certification.
Other points to keep in view
- The Act is a Central Act and section 1(3) uses the words "different States" and "different dates".
- "State" includes a Union Territory under section 2(n), as printed in the copy.
- The Act's reach into particular industries is by designated trade, which the Central Government specifies under section 2(e). Section 1 itself does not list any trade.
The four Labour Codes are in force from 21 November 2025; check the current position before relying on any other labour law.
Need help with checking whether the Apprentices Act reaches your establishment?
If you are unsure whether notifications under section 1(4) bring your area and industry within the Act, a short review of your establishment and trades is the sensible first step. Our labour law compliance team can map the notifications you need to read and the records you may have to keep.
Key takeaways
- Section 1 gives the short title, the extent (whole of India), the commencement mechanism and the application rule.
- Commencement is by notification; the note in the copy states that the Act came into force on 1 March 1962.
- Under sub-section (4)(a), the Act applies to an area or industry only if the Central Government notifies it.
- Sub-section (4)(b) is omitted; sub-section (4)(c) deals with notified special apprenticeship schemes.
- The consolidated copy is amended up to Act 29 of 2014; check later amendments.
Read next
- Section 2: definitions of apprentice, designated trade, employer and establishment
- Section 2: trade apprentice, graduate apprentice, optional trade and worker
- Sections 3, 3-A and 3-B: qualifications and reservation of training places
- Labour law compliance checklist for employers
Disclaimer: Based on a consolidated text of the Apprentices Act, 1961 amended up to Act 29 of 2014, on the Gazette of India copy of the Apprentices (Amendment) Act, 2014, and on a consolidated copy of the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 in which the latest amendment marked is dated 20 January 2017, as consulted on 2 October 2026. Stipend rates and other figures are as printed in those texts and may have been revised; later amendments and the position under the Labour Codes in force from 21 November 2025 should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.