Apprenticeship Stipend Rates Revised: How Does This Affect Trade Apprentices?

Friends, please find attached the Apprenticeship (Second Amendment) Rules 2014, which were notified on 22.9.2014, revising the rates of stipend payable to trade apprentices with immediate effect.

Thanks

Thank you for providing the soft copy of the amendment. I have a few queries:

1. We are a service industry. If we appoint trainees, for example, in our laboratory, admin, or any section, are there any governing factors to qualify them as trainees? In other words, is it mandatory that a "trainee" being paid a stipend should necessarily be a person who is registered with the State Employment Exchange or an active student referred by an educational institution?

2. Is there any time restriction regarding how long (period) a recruited trainee can be paid a stipend?

3. Are such trainees exempted from statutory regulations, such as EPF, ESIC, etc.?

I would appreciate your valued feedback on this.

Regards,
R. S. Patwardhan