India, Feb. 16 -- Foreign diplomatic missions in India are not exempt from complying with the country's labour and social security laws, particularly those concerning Indian nationals employed at their high commissions and consulates, the Madras high court ruled on Saturday, as it directed the Sri Lankan deputy high commission in Chennai to reinstate a consular agent retrenched from service in 2018.

Passing the order, justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy observed that Indians working in foreign diplomatic missions do not need permission from the Centre under Section 86 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CrPC) before approaching an industrial tribunal against their employers.

The judge noted that Parliament enacted the Diplomatic Relations (Vien...