Rajasthan: Children below 14 banned from working in shops and commercial establishments

Jaipur: The Rajasthan government has approved the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, prohibiting the employment of children under 14 years of age in shops and commercial establishments.

The move, approved by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, aims to strengthen child welfare, ensure education and health for minors, and align state labour laws with national compliance and safety standards.

The Chief Minister’s Office said the amendments aim to balance business facilitation with worker protection, in line with the Union government’s Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Docket.

Also Read: Punjab CM invites President Murmu for martyrdom day events of Guru Teg Bahadur

Key provisions of the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 include the ban on child labour.

Children below 14 years of age will no longer be permitted to work in shops or commercial establishments. Also, the apprenticeship age has been revised. Now, the minimum age for apprentices has been raised from 12 years to 14 years.

Night work restriction for adolescents has been announced under the new provisions un which individuals aged 14 to 18 years will not be allowed to work at night, while strengthening safeguards for young workers. Also, working hours have been extended.

The maximum daily working hours have been increased from 9 hours to 10 hours, while the maximum overtime limit is now 144 hours per quarter, up from the previous limit. These changes are aimed at improving productivity and operational flexibility while ensuring welfare and health standards for workers.

The earlier Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, allowed adolescents between 12 and 15 years to work a maximum of 3 hours daily, which has now been updated to reflect current welfare and educational priorities. Also, special provisions for women’s safety under the Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025, have been made.

The Chief Minister approved amendments to the Rajasthan Factories Rules, expanding employment opportunities for women in specific factory operations while prioritising workplace safety and privacy.

Under the new rules, women (except pregnant or lactating women) can be employed in designated factory sites.

Further, the employers must provide personal protective equipment (PPE), including respiratory masks, face shields, gloves, heat shields, and other safety gear.

Factories are required to ensure safety training for all workers and maintain air quality standards within the workplace. These amendments reinforce the state government’s commitment to gender inclusion, worker safety, and ease of doing business, while ensuring alignment with national labour reforms, said officials.