law: Apprentices Act, 1961
  8. NUMBER OF 
  
  APPRENTICES FOR A DESIGNATED TRADE. -
  (1) The 
  
  Central Government shall, after consulting the Central Apprenticeship Council, 
  
  by order notified in the Official Gazette, determine for each designated trade 
  
  the ratio of trade apprentices to workers other than unskilled workers in that 
  
  trade :
  Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall be deemed to prevent any 
  
  employer from engaging a number of trade apprentices in excess of the ratio 
  
  determined under this sub-section.
  (2) In 
  
  determining the ratio under sub-section (1), the Central Government shall have 
  
  regard to the facilities available for apprenticeship training under this Act in 
  
  the designated trade concerned as well as to the facilities that may have to be 
  
  made available by an employer for the training of graduate or technician 
  
  apprentices, technician (vocational) apprentices, if any, in pursuance of any 
  
  notice issued to him under sub-section (3A) by the Central Apprenticeship 
  
  Adviser or such other person as is referred to in that sub-section.
  (3) The 
  
  Apprenticeship Adviser may, by notice in writing, require an employer to engage 
  
  such number of trade apprentices within the ratio determined by the Central 
  
  Government for any designated trade in his establishment, to undergo 
  
  apprenticeship training in that trade and the employer shall comply with such 
  
  requisition :
  Provided that in making any requisition under this sub-section, the Apprenticeship 
  
  Adviser shall have regard to the facilities actually available in the 
  
  establishment concerned :
  Provided further that the Apprenticeship Adviser may, on a representation made to him by 
  
  an employer and keeping in view the more realistic employment potential, 
  
  training facilities and other relevant factors, permit him to engage such number 
  
  of apprentices for a designated trade as is lesser than the number arrived at by 
  
  the ratio for that trade, not being lesser than twenty per cent of the number so 
  
  arrived at, subject to the condition that the employer shall engage apprentices 
  
  in other-trades in excess in number equivalent to such shortfall.
  (3A) The 
  
  Central Apprenticeship Adviser or any other person not below the rank of an 
  
  Assistant Apprenticeship Adviser authorized by the Central Apprenticeship 
  
  Adviser in writing in this behalf shall, having regard to -
  (i) the 
  
  number of managerial persons (including technical and supervisory persons) 
  
  employed in a designated trade;
  (ii) the 
  
  number of management trainees engaged in the establishment;
  (iii) the 
  
  totality of the training facilities available in a designated trade; and
  (iv) such 
  
  other factors as he may consider fit in the circumstances of the case, by notice 
  
  in writing, require an employer to impart training to such number of graduate or 
  
  technician apprentices, technician (vocational) apprentices in such trade in his 
  
  establishment as may be specified in such notice and the employer shall comply 
  
  with such requisition.
  Explanation: In this sub-section the expression "management trainee" means a person who is 
  
  engaged by an employer for undergoing a course of training in the establishment 
  
  of the employer (not being apprenticeship training under this Act) subject to 
  
  the condition that on successful completion of such training, such person shall 
  
  be employed by the employer on a regular basis.
  (4) Several 
  
  employers may join together for the purpose of providing practical training to 
  
  the apprentices under them by moving them between their respective 
  
  establishments.
  (5) Where, 
  
  having regard to the public interest, a number of apprentices in excess of the 
  
  ratio determined by the Central Government or in excess of the number specified 
  
  in a notice issued under sub-section (3A) should in the opinion of the 
  
  appropriate Government be trained, the appropriate Government may require 
  
  employers to train the additional number of apprentices.
  (6) Every 
  
  employer to whom such requisition as aforesaid is made, shall comply with the 
  
  requisition if the Government concerned makes available such additional 
  
  facilities and such additional financial assistance as are considered necessary 
  
  by the Apprenticeship Adviser for the training of the additional number of 
  
  apprentices.
  (7) Any 
  
  employer not satisfied with the decision of the Apprenticeship Adviser under 
  
  sub-section (6), may make a reference to the Central Apprenticeship Council and 
  
  such reference shall be decided by a Committee thereof appointed by that Council 
  
  for the purpose and the decision of that Committee shall be final.