State bans child labour below 14 and night work for teens – Times of India

Report on Labour Reforms in Rajasthan and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Legislative Amendments for Sustainable Growth

The government of Rajasthan has approved two significant labour reforms, the Rajasthan Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, and the Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025. These amendments are designed to foster economic growth while concurrently advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to decent work, education, gender equality, and health.

Advancing SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The reforms directly address multiple targets within SDG 8, which aims to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

• Target 8.7: End Child Labour: The ordinance takes a definitive step towards eliminating child labour by instituting a complete prohibition on the employment of children under the age of 14 in shops and commercial establishments.
• Target 8.6: Youth Employment, Education, and Training: To ensure young people are not deprived of educational and developmental opportunities, the reforms include:
  1. Raising the minimum age for apprentices from 12 to 14 years.
  2. Prohibiting adolescents aged 14 to 18 from working during night hours.
• Target 8.8: Protect Labour Rights and Promote Safe Working Environments: The amendments aim to create a progressive and safe working environment. While increasing operational flexibility through revised work hours, the reforms also introduce mandatory safety protocols, especially for women in factory settings.

Revised Labour Standards for Economic Productivity

• Maximum daily work duration increased from 9 to 10 hours.
• Quarterly overtime limit increased from 126 to 144 hours.

Supporting SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

By preventing premature entry into the workforce, the new regulations strongly support SDG 4, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all.

• The prohibition of child labour under 14 is a critical measure to uphold a child’s right to education over labour.
• These protections for children and adolescents directly contribute to SDG 10 by reducing the vulnerabilities and inequalities faced by younger populations.

Promoting SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

The Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025, specifically focus on enhancing female participation in the workforce, a core objective of SDG 5, while ensuring their health and safety, in line with SDG 3.

• The rules permit women to work in approved factories, expanding their employment opportunities and economic empowerment.
• This is conditional upon employers implementing stringent safety and health measures, ensuring a safe working environment.

Mandatory Safety and Health Provisions for Female Workers

1. Employers must provide necessary protective gear, including respirators, masks, and gloves.
2. Workplace air quality must be maintained at safe levels.
3. Regular and mandatory safety training must be provided to all employees.
4. Special protections are in place, exempting pregnant or nursing mothers from these specific work environments to safeguard their well-being.

1. SDGs Addressed in the Article

The article on Rajasthan’s new labour reforms addresses several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on improving the work environment, protecting vulnerable workers, and promoting gender equality in the workplace. The primary SDGs connected to the issues are:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

2. Specific Targets Under Identified SDGs

Based on the content of the article, the following specific targets can be identified:

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

• Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.
  • Explanation: The article directly addresses this target by highlighting the “prohibition of child labour, which will prevent children below the age of 14 from working in shops or commercial settings” and raising the minimum age for apprentices from 12 to 14 years.
• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment.
  • Explanation: The reforms aim to create a “progressive and safe working environment.” Specifically, the Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025, mandate that employers adopt “necessary safety measures, including the provision of protective gear such as respirators, masks, gloves and ensuring safe air quality in the workplace.” Furthermore, “regular safety training for all employees will become mandatory,” directly contributing to a safer work environment.

SDG 4: Quality Education

• Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.
  • Explanation: The article establishes a clear link between the new labour laws and education. The ban on night work for adolescents (14-18) is explicitly aimed at “prioritising their access to education, health and nutrition.” Chief Minister Sharma is quoted saying, “This decision will ensure that children get the right to education instead of being pushed into premature labour,” which directly supports the goal of keeping children in the education system.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.
  • Explanation: The article discusses the Rajasthan Factory (Amendment) Rules, 2025, which “introduce provisions aimed at improving the employment conditions of women in certain factory environments.” By permitting women to work in approved factories with enhanced safety measures, the government is facilitating their ability to “actively participate in the workforce,” thereby promoting their participation in economic life.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
  • Explanation: The legal prohibition of child labour for those under 14 is a fundamental institutional measure to end the economic exploitation of children, which is a form of abuse. The new ordinances represent a strengthening of the legal framework to protect children.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

The article does not mention official SDG indicators by name, but it implies several process and outcome indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

Indicators for SDG 8 Targets

• For Target 8.7 (End child labour): The article implies indicators related to the legal framework and its enforcement.
  • Implied Indicator: The legal minimum age for work and apprenticeship. The article specifies this has been raised to 14. Progress can be measured by the successful implementation and enforcement of this new age limit.
  • Implied Indicator: The prohibition of night work for adolescents aged 14-18. This is a specific, measurable regulation.
• For Target 8.8 (Safe working environments):
  • Implied Indicator: The number or percentage of factories implementing mandatory safety measures for female workers. The article lists specific measures like “protective gear” and “safe air quality” that can be monitored through inspections.
  • Implied Indicator: The implementation of “regular safety training for all employees.” The frequency and quality of this training can be tracked.

Indicator for SDG 4 Target

• For Target 4.1 (Access to education):
  • Implied Indicator: A decrease in the school dropout rate or an increase in the school enrollment rate for children aged 14 and adolescents (14-18). The article’s stated goal is to ensure children “get the right to education instead of being pushed into premature labour,” suggesting that a key measure of success would be improved educational statistics for these age groups.

Indicator for SDG 5 Target

• For Target 5.5 (Women’s participation):
  • Implied Indicator: The rate of female participation in the factory workforce. The reforms are designed to improve conditions to encourage women to “actively participate in the workforce,” so an increase in their employment numbers in these sectors would be a direct indicator of progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com