South Carolina Tamil Nadu board asks how temples can be classified as ‘industrial’

New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Commissioner on Wednesday challenged the definition of “industry” fixed by the Supreme Court in 1978, saying how can it cover temples when most of them are maintained by the surplus generated from donations to a few temples, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra.Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing before the TN agency that oversees the administration, management and maintenance of Hindu institutions, temples and charitable endowments, told a nine-judge bench headed by CJI Surya Kant that the activities in the temple had nothing to do with industrial activities or disputes covered by the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.Gupta said industry must consist of employers and employees cooperating to produce products that meet human needs and must have a commercial character or profit motive.