Delegated legislation must operate from the date fixed by the rule-making authority; courts cannot substitute a later effective date.

A notification amending the Employees' State Insurance (Central) Rules, 1950, was treated as delegated legislation with legislative character, and its operative date had to remain as fixed by the rule-making authority. The High Court had no power to postpone the notification's enforcement or substitute a different effective date in the absence of any ground to invalidate the amendment itself. The Supreme Court therefore set aside the direction altering the commencement date and confirmed that valid delegated legislation operates from the date specified by the authority, leaving parties to seek any permissible relief before the appropriate Government.

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Issues: Whether the High Court could postpone the operation of a notification amending the Employees' State Insurance (Central) Rules, 1950, from the date specified by the rule-making authority.

Analysis: The amendment enhancing the wage ceiling was made by notification under the rule-making power and thus constituted delegated legislation. A notification of this kind is legislative in character. In the absence of any ground warranting invalidation of the amendment itself, the High Court had no authority to alter the date from which the notification was to operate or to substitute a different effective date.

Conclusion: The High Court was not justified in postponing the enforcement of the notification, and the notification was operative from the date fixed by the rule-making authority.

Final Conclusion: The appeals succeeded and the direction changing the effective date of the amendment was set aside, while liberty was left to seek any permissible relief before the appropriate Government.

Ratio Decidendi: Courts cannot alter the operative date of valid delegated legislation by judicial direction merely because they consider a different date more appropriate.

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