Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2026

The Andaman & Nicobar Administration has notified sweeping amendments to the A&N Islands Shops and Establishments Rules, 2005, moving the Union Territory toward round-the-clock shop operations, digitised registration, and a detailed new framework for women’s safety in night-shift work. The amendment follows a draft published on 15 June 2026 (A&N Gazette Extraordinary No. 222); no objections were received during the 45-day consultation window, and the final Rules were notified as-is.

The Rules come into force from the date of gazette publication — 12 August 2026.

Key changes at a glance

1. Registration: now fully electronic

Rule 4 has been substituted. Establishments now submit Form-A electronically along with prescribed fees; a Form-B registration certificate is issued electronically on auto-approval, with no prior approval step. The certificate remains valid for the lifetime of the establishment, until closure is intimated under Section 6 of the 2004 Regulations.

2. 24×7 operations — the conditions

Rule 8 has been substituted to permit shops and establishments to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, subject to a detailed set of conditions:

• Weekly rest: Every employee gets one rest day per week, on a rotational basis; the holiday roster must be displayed on Form E at the establishment and a copy sent to the Registering Officer (with any changes intimated immediately). Form D is omitted.
• Working hours cap: 48 hours/week, with overtime wages for hours beyond that.
• Working on a weekly off: Permitted, but a compensatory holiday with wages must follow within 30 days.

3. Women’s night shift (7 PM–6 AM): a detailed safeguard framework

This is the most substantial addition. Employers wishing to deploy women on night shifts must meet 19 separate conditions, including:

• Written consent of the woman employee
• No deployment against maternity-benefit protections under the Code on Social Security, 2020
• Daily working-hour limit of 10 hours for women on night shift
• Free transportation for pick-up/drop-off at residence
• Separate dining facilities for night-shift workers
• Women-only, women-supervised boarding/lodging where provided
• Minimum 12 consecutive hours of rest when switching between day and night shifts
• At least two women workers per night shift appointed as Special Welfare Assistants
• CCTV coverage of workplace and passage areas; well-lit entry/exit, toilets, washrooms, drinking water points
• Safe, secure, non-disadvantaging working conditions
• Compliance with the POSH Act, 2013
• Incident reporting to both the Inspector and the local Police Station
• Medical facilities and emergency telephone access
• Display of these guidelines at the workplace
• Adequate, accessible toilet and water facilities
• Crèche facility with caretaker for women working night shifts, wherever needed
• A residual clause allowing the Administrator to prescribe further safety conditions by written order

Separately, for women in hazardous/dangerous processes: no pregnant woman may be required to work where she’d be exposed to carcinogenic or teratogenic substances; mandatory training on hazard properties, escape routes, and protective equipment; and the Administration retains power to notify further safeguarding standards for specific classes of establishments.

4. Reconciling with the OSH&WC Code, 2020 (new Rule 12A)

A new Rule 12A addresses how the local Shops & Establishments Regulation interacts with the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020:

Where both frameworks cover an establishment: the Code governs occupational safety, health, working conditions and welfare matters; the Regulation continues to apply on matters the Code doesn’t expressly cover; and wherever the two conflict, the more beneficial provision to the employee prevails.

Compliance takeaways for employers

• No more manual registration — but also no more “pending approval” buffer; get Form-A submissions accurate the first time since approval is automatic.
• 24×7 operation is now permitted, but comes bundled with real operational obligations (roster displays, 48-hour cap, compensatory offs) — this isn’t a blanket deregulation.
• Women’s night-shift deployment requires significant upfront infrastructure (CCTV, transport, welfare assistants, crèche) — employers currently running or planning night shifts should audit readiness against all 19 conditions before deploying women staff.
• Dual-registration confusion is resolved — establishments with 20+ workers don’t need to register separately under the OSH&WC Code; 10–19 worker establishments register only under the Code, not the Regulation.

Please find attached the official notification:

Andaman_Nicobar_Island_12_09_2026__The_Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands_Shops_and_Establishments_Amendmen