The Madras High Court has held that the staff of private educational institutions should be covered under the Employees' State Insurance scheme. The three-member Division Bench led by Justice Pushpa Satyanarayana in its verdict today upheld an order to this effect passed by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2010.<br />'' <br />''When the State Government order was published in the gazette 10 years back, private institutions went to the High Court saying they cannot be regarded as industrial or commercial ventures to qualify for the ESI cover. The First Division Bench led by the then Chief Justice stayed the order saying a similar case is pending before the Supreme Court. However, another Division Bench later held that the ESI benefits can be given to private educational institution staff as well.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">As the two verdicts contradicted each other, the present Chief Justice A. P. Sahi referred the case to a three-judge bench. As a record in the history of the High Court, all the three members of the Bench were women judges. They have held today that the staff of private institutions also should be extended the ESI cover.</span><br />