Section 10 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 10 requires that a trade apprentice undergoing practical training also receives a course of related instruction, meaning the theoretical knowledge needed to become a fully qualified skilled craftsman. The instruction is at the employer's cost, class time counts as paid work, and graduate or technician apprentices must be released to attend classes in their institution.
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.
A trade apprentice in practical training must be given a course of related instruction appropriate to the trade, approved by the Central Government in consultation with the Central Apprenticeship Council. It is imparted at the cost of the employer, and the time spent in class is treated as part of the apprentice's paid period of work. The scale of instruction may be reduced for certain trade apprentices "as may be prescribed".
Sub-section by sub-section
| Sub-section | What it says |
|---|---|
| (1) | A trade apprentice undergoing practical training in an establishment shall, during that period, be given a course of related instruction (appropriate to the trade) approved by the Central Government in consultation with the Central Apprenticeship Council, to give the trade apprentice the theoretical knowledge he needs to become fully qualified as a skilled craftsman. |
| (2) | Related instruction shall be imparted at the cost of the employer, and the employer shall, when so required, afford all facilities for imparting it. (Marked as substituted by Act 36 of 2007.) |
| (3) | Any time spent by a trade apprentice in attending classes on related instruction shall be treated as part of his paid period of work. |
| (4) | For trade apprentices who, after a course of institutional training, have passed the trade tests conducted by the National Council, or the trade tests and examinations conducted by a Board or State Council of Technical Education or another authority the Central Government may specify by notification, related instruction may be given on such reduced or modified scale as may be prescribed. |
| (5) | Where a person has, during his course in a technical institution, become a graduate or technician apprentice or a technician (vocational) apprentice, and during apprenticeship training has to receive related instruction, the employer shall release the person from practical training to receive it in that institution, for such period as may be specified by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser, or by a person not below the rank of an Assistant Apprenticeship Adviser authorised by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser in writing. |
Who is covered
Sub-sections (1) to (4) speak of the trade apprentice. Sub-section (5) speaks of the graduate or technician apprentice and the technician (vocational) apprentice. The Act does not extend the course of related instruction in sub-section (1) to the other classes; sub-section (5) deals with their classroom training by release.
The course must be "appropriate to the trade" and approved by the Central Government in consultation with the Central Apprenticeship Council. An employer cannot design the syllabus on its own and call it related instruction. If you are unsure which course applies to your trade, our labour law compliance team can help you trace the approved course before the apprentice starts.
At the employer's cost
Under sub-section (2), the cost of related instruction falls on the employer, and the employer must, when so required, afford all facilities for imparting it. The section does not say who may require the facilities, and it does not say where the instruction is imparted. Section 9(8) deals separately with recurring costs of practical and basic training and the sharing of stipend costs with the Government; it does not mention related instruction, so do not assume that cost sharing applies here. For that section, see our article on section 9 (practical and basic training).
Class time counts as paid work
Sub-section (3) says any time spent by a trade apprentice in attending classes on related instruction is treated as part of the paid period of work. The practical meaning is that class hours cannot be deducted from the stipend or treated as unpaid time. The stipend itself is covered in section 13; see our article on section 13 (payment of stipend). The Act prints no rule here on the number of class hours.
The copy prints "Any time spend by", which is a slip for "spent". We quote it as printed.
Reduced or modified scale
Sub-section (4) allows a reduced or modified scale of related instruction for trade apprentices who have already undergone institutional training and passed the trade tests or examinations described. The scale is "as may be prescribed". No rule in the sources used here fills this sub-section, so the Act is silent in this copy on the extent of any reduction, and we state none. The sub-section is marked in the copy as substituted by Act 4 of 1997.
Release of graduate and technician apprentices
Sub-section (5) is about people who are still in a technical institution. If such a person has become a graduate or technician apprentice or a technician (vocational) apprentice during the course, and has to receive related instruction during the apprenticeship, the employer shall release the person from practical training to attend that instruction in the institution. The period is "such as may be specified" by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser or by a person not below the rank of Assistant Apprenticeship Adviser authorised in writing by the Central Apprenticeship Adviser. The employer does not set the period.
Practical checklist
- Identify whether the apprentice is a trade apprentice or a graduate, technician or technician (vocational) apprentice, because sub-sections (1) to (4) and sub-section (5) differ.
- For a trade apprentice, find out the approved course of related instruction for the trade.
- Budget the cost of instruction as an employer cost under sub-section (2).
- Record class attendance as part of the paid period of work.
- For sub-section (5), obtain the period specified by the Adviser or authorised person and release the apprentice accordingly.
The four Labour Codes are in force from 21 November 2025; check the current position before relying on any other labour law.
An example
Faisal is a trade apprentice in a fitter trade at Orbit Engineering. The approved course of related instruction requires classes on Saturdays. Orbit arranges the classes and pays the cost under sub-section (2). Faisal attends four hours each Saturday, and Orbit treats those four hours as part of his paid period of work under sub-section (3), so his stipend for the week is not reduced for the class time. Separately, Meera, a diploma holder engaged as a graduate or technician apprentice, must attend related instruction at her institution. Orbit releases her from practical training for the period the Adviser specifies.
Need help with training and instruction arrangements?
Related instruction involves approved courses, costs and attendance records, and it sits alongside the practical training duties of section 9. Our labour law compliance service can help you set up a simple schedule and record system for each class of apprentice.
Key takeaways
- A trade apprentice in practical training must be given a course of related instruction appropriate to the trade, approved by the Central Government.
- The employer bears the cost and affords the facilities when required.
- Class time is treated as part of the paid period of work.
- A reduced or modified scale is possible only "as may be prescribed", and no rule in the sources fills it.
- Graduate, technician and technician (vocational) apprentices are released to attend instruction in their institution for the period the Adviser specifies.
Read next
- Section 9: practical and basic training of apprentices
- Section 11: obligations of employers
- Section 12: obligations of apprentices
- 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.