Section 7B — Powers of Inspectors.

7B. Powers of Inspectors.—(1) Subject to any rules made by the appropriate Government in this 

behalf, an Inspector may, for the purpose of ascertaining whether any of the provisions of this Act or the 

conditions, if any, of any exemption granted thereunder, have been complied with, exercise all or any of 

the following powers, namely:— 

(a) require an employer to furnish such information as he may consider necessary; 

(b) enter and inspect, at all reasonable hours, with such assistants (if any), being persons in the 

service of the Government or local or any public authority, as he thinks fit, any premises of or place 

in any factory, mine, oilfield, plantation, port, railway company, shop or other establishment to which 

this Act, applies, for the purpose of examining any register, record or notice or other document 

required to be kept or exhibited under this Act or the rules made thereunder, or otherwise kept or 

                                                           
1. Subs. by Act 25 of 1984, s. 4, for “nominee” (w.e.f. 1-7-1984). 

2. The proviso ins. by s. 4, ibid.  (w.e.f. 1-7-1984). 

3. Ins. by s. 5, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-7-1984). 



10 
 

exhibited in relation to the employment of any person or the payment of gratuity to the employees, 

and require the production thereof for inspection; 

(c) examine with respect to any matter relevant to any of the purposes aforesaid, the employer or 

any person whom he finds in such premises or place and who, he has reasonable cause to believe, is 

an employee employed therein; 

(d) make copies of, or take extracts from, any register, record, notice or other document, as he 

may consider relevant, and where he has reason to believe that any offence under this Act has been 

committed by an employer, search and seize with such assistance as he may think fit, such register, 

record, notice or other document as he may consider relevant in respect of that offence; 

(e) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed. 

(2) Any person required to produce any register, record, notice or other document or to give any 

information by an Inspector under sub-section (1) shall be deemed to be legally bound to do so within the 

meaning of sections 175 and 176 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860). 

(3) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) shall so far as may be, apply 

to any search or seizure under this section as they apply to any search or seizure made under the authority 

of a warrant issued under section 94 of that Code.]