Meghalaya becomes the second NE state to permit women in night shifts

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJanuary 12, 2025

The Meghalaya Cabinet, meeting at Sohra on Friday, approved amendments to the Meghalaya Factories Rules, 1980, introducing significant changes, including allowing women to work night shifts under strict security measures.

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma stated this move aligns with the Government of India’s ease of doing business provisions. “Earlier, women were not permitted to work night shifts. With these amendments, women can now choose to work at night in factories, provided safety measures—such as CCTV surveillance and monitoring mechanisms—are implemented. Meghalaya has now become the second state in the North East, after Assam, to make this change,” he said.

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The Cabinet also approved extending the factory license renewal period to 10 years.

Sangma highlighted that this is part of the central government’s initiative to simplify processes for businesses. Regular checks and monitoring will ensure compliance with these new provisions.

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