Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 has been approved by Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma. This ordinance prohibits children below the age of 14 from working in shops and commercial establishments, as per an official statement released on Monday. Apart from the ordinance, Bhajanlal has also approved the amendments to Rajasthan Factories (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which aim to promote commercial activities but ensure the safety and welfare of all workers.

What does the ordinance say?

As per the ordinance, the age limit of children employed at shops and commercial spaces has been increased from 12 to 14, and adolescents (aged 14–18) won’t be allowed to work late at night. Earlier, the permissible age to work at night was 12–15 years.

This ordinance is passed keeping the nutrition, health, and education of children in mind, stated officials. Not only has the age cap been increased, but there has also been an increase in the working hours. Working hours were 9 earlier, now will be 10, with a maximum of 144 hours per quarter. Time has been increased to improve operational efficiency and productivity, stated officials.

Amendments to the Rajasthan Factories Rules

Chief Minister Bhajanlal has also approved amendments to Rajasthan Factories Rules. Now, women will be allowed to be employed (except pregnant or lactating workers) in specific factories, with special provisions for safety, privacy, and protective equipment.

The statement said the new rules will make it mandatory for employers to ensure that all workers are safe and thus there should be personal safety gear such as respiratory protection, face shields, masks, gloves, and heat shields, along with maintaining air quality and providing mandatory safety training to all workers.

Increase in Child Labour Cases

A recent study by a network working in the field of child rights shared that Rajasthan is one of the top three states that has maximum child labour rescue cases. The report stated that out of the 53,651 children that were rescued by over 250 NGOs nationwide, Rajasthan accounts for as many as 3,847 child labour rescues. So, this move seems to be an action to curb the increasing child labour cases across the state.

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