Kochi: The Kerala High Court today held that Employees State Insurance (ESI) Act is applicable to private educational institutions.

Dismissing writ petitions filed by private school managements, a Division Bench, comprising Justices K Balakrishnan Nair and C T Ravikumar said educational institutions like private schools are treated as industrial establishments in view of the Supreme Court judgements.

The bench rejected the argument that educational institutions was not an industry and added that interpretation of industry in Sect 2 (8) of the Industrial Disputes Act was applicable to the word 'Industrial Establishment' in Sect 1 (5) of the ESI Act.

Beneficial legislation should be liberally interpreted, the court held.