The Rajasthan government on Monday introduced a Bill in the Assembly seeking to allow women to work in factories before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m., subject to their consent and adequate safety measures.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sumit Godara tabled the Factories (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes changes to the Factories Act, 1948 (a Central Act) as applicable to the state.
According to officials, the move follows a compliance reduction and deregulation directive from the Centre, which recommended revising the working hour limits for factory workers. The amendment is aimed at boosting factory production capacity, enabling employers to create more jobs, and ensuring the availability of workers to operate or supervise machines and processes as required.
Officials said the proposed Bill aims to boost women’s participation in the workforce, allowing them to contribute more to the economy, enhance their earnings, and access opportunities in industries that operate night shifts. This will be permitted only with their written consent and under prescribed safety safeguards.
Key provisions of the Bill include:
- Extending the maximum daily work hours from 9 to 10, including rest intervals.
- Allowing up to 6 continuous working hours without a break.
- Increasing the daily “spread-over” limit to 12 hours, inclusive of intervals.
- Raising the overtime cap from 75 to 144 hours per quarter.
The Bill will next be taken up for discussion in the Assembly. Once passed, the state government will draft detailed rules outlining how employers must safeguard women’s safety and the process for recording and verifying consent.
