RAM AVTAR SHARMA & ORS. ETC. vs STATE OF HARYANA AND ANR. ETC.

The Supreme Court held that the refusal by the appropriate government to refer an industrial dispute to the Tribunal under Section 10(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, is an administrative act and not a quasi-judicial function. The Court clarified that while the government must form an opinion on the existence of a dispute, this does not transform its role into that of an adjudicator. The petitions were allowed, establishing that the government's decision can be challenged if based on irrelevant or extraneous grounds.