The Andaman and Nicobar Administration has notified the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2026 through the Extraordinary Gazette published on 12 August 2026.
The amendment introduces significant changes relating to online registration, lifetime validity of registration certificates, 24×7 operations, weekly holidays, overtime, employment of women during night shifts and alignment with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
1. Effective date and territorial application
The amended Rules:
Shall be called the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2026.
Extend to the whole of the Union Territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Come into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette.
Accordingly, the Rules became effective from 12 August 2026.
2. Online registration with auto-approval
Rule 4 of the principal Rules has been substituted.
Upon submission of the prescribed statement in Form A, along with the applicable fees, the registration certificate in Form B shall be issued electronically.
The amended process provides for:
Electronic submission of the application;
No requirement of prior approval;
Auto-approval mode;
Electronic issuance of the registration certificate; and
Lifetime validity of the registration certificate.
The registration certificate will remain valid for the lifetime of the establishment or until an intimation of closure is submitted under the applicable provisions.
This change is expected to simplify registration and reduce administrative delays for shops and establishments.
3. Omission of Rule 5 and Form D
Rule 5 of the principal Rules has been omitted.
Further, under the amended provisions relating to 24×7 operations, Form D has also been omitted.
Employers should therefore review their existing registration and compliance procedures and update internal checklists and forms accordingly.
4. Permission for 24×7 operations
The amended Rule 8 permits shops and establishments to operate 24 hours a day and seven days a week, subject to prescribed safeguards.
However, 24×7 operation does not remove the employee’s entitlement to weekly rest, statutory working-hour limits, overtime wages and other applicable employment protections.
Weekly holiday
Every employee must be provided one day of holiday for rest every week on a rotational basis.
The employer must:
Display a notice of the weekly holiday in Form E at a conspicuous place in the establishment; and
Send a copy of the notice to the Registering Officer.
Any change in the weekly holiday notice must be immediately intimated to the Registering Officer.
Weekly working hours and overtime
The weekly working hours of an employee shall be 48 hours.
Where an employee works beyond 48 hours, the employee shall be entitled to overtime wages in accordance with Section 8(1) of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments Regulations, 2004.
Employers should maintain accurate records of:
Daily working hours;
Weekly working hours;
Overtime hours;
Overtime wages; and
Weekly holidays and compensatory holidays.
Work on weekly holiday
An employee may be required to work on a weekly holiday, subject to the condition that a compensatory holiday with wages is granted within 30 days from the date of the weekly holiday.
5. Employment of women during night shifts
Women employees may be employed during night shifts between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., subject to prescribed conditions.
The principal safeguards include:
Written consent of the woman employee;
Compliance with maternity benefit provisions;
Working hours not exceeding 10 hours in a day;
Free transportation for pick-up and drop-off at the employee’s residence;
Separate dining facilities for night-shift workers;
Exclusive boarding and lodging facilities for women, wherever provided;
Women wardens or supervisors for such boarding and lodging facilities;
At least 12 consecutive hours of rest while changing between day and night shifts;
Appointment of at least two women workers per night shift as Special Welfare Assistants;
CCTV coverage at the workplace and passages leading to essential facilities;
Proper lighting at entry, exit, toilet, washroom and drinking-water areas;
Easily accessible toilets and drinking-water facilities;
Safe, secure and healthy working conditions;
Compliance with the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013;
Immediate reporting of untoward incidents to the Inspector and the concerned police station;
Availability of medical facilities and emergency telephone connections;
Display of women-safety guidelines at a prominent location; and
Provision of crèche facilities wherever required for children of women workers employed during night shifts.
The employer is also responsible for taking all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and to ensure that women employees are not disadvantaged in connection with their employment.
6. Protection of women employed in hazardous processes
Additional safeguards apply where women are employed in hazardous or dangerous processes.
The amendment provides that:
A pregnant woman must not be required or permitted to work in hazardous or dangerous processes where she may be exposed to carcinogenic or teratogenic substances;
All safety measures applicable to hazardous processes and dangerous operations must be implemented;
Women employees must be trained regarding the hazardous properties of substances handled, stored or manufactured;
Necessary personal protective equipment must be provided;
Employees must be trained regarding escape procedures in case of fire, leakage or spillage; and
The Administration may notify additional categories of establishments and safety standards from time to time.
Employers operating hazardous establishments should conduct a separate review of risk assessments, safety training, PPE, emergency procedures and medical support.
7. Electronic challan
In Rule 12, the word “Challan” has been substituted with “electronically”.
This indicates a shift towards electronic payment and online compliance processes under the amended Rules.
8. Alignment with the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020
A new Rule 12A has been inserted to provide for harmonious construction between:
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments Regulations, 2004;
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments Rules; and
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020.
Establishments employing 10 or more workers
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 shall apply to every shop or establishment where 10 or more workers are employed or were employed on any day during the preceding 12 months.
Such establishments are required to obtain registration under the Code in accordance with the Code and the rules made thereunder.
Deemed compliance for establishments employing 20 or more workers
Where a shop or establishment employing 20 or more workers has already obtained registration under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments Regulations, such registration shall be treated as sufficient compliance with the registration requirement under the Code.
Such establishments will not be required to obtain a separate registration under the Shops and Establishments Regulations where the Code applies.
Establishments employing 10 to 19 workers
For establishments employing 10 or more but fewer than 20 workers:
The provisions of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 shall apply; and
The registration provisions under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments Regulations shall not apply.
9. Which law will apply in case of overlap?
Where an establishment is covered under both the Code and the Shops and Establishments Regulations:
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code shall govern occupational safety, health, working conditions and welfare matters;
The Shops and Establishments Regulations shall continue to apply to matters not expressly covered by the Code; and
Where there is any inconsistency, the provision more beneficial to the employee or worker shall prevail to the extent of the inconsistency.
10. Compliance action for employers
Employers in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands should take the following steps:
Review the applicability of the OSH Code based on the headcount during the preceding 12 months.
Verify whether existing registration is sufficient or whether registration under the Code is required.
Update registration and licence records to reflect lifetime validity and auto-approval.
Prepare a weekly holiday roster and display the notice in Form E.
Monitor the 48-hour weekly working-hour limit.
Maintain overtime and compensatory holiday records.
Review night-shift arrangements for women employees.
Obtain written consent before assigning women employees to night shifts.
Ensure transportation, lighting, CCTV, security, rest, dining, toilet and emergency facilities.
Review POSH compliance and incident-reporting procedures.
Conduct safety assessments for hazardous or dangerous processes.
Update statutory registers, HR policies, shift rosters and internal compliance checklists.
Conclusion
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Rules, 2026 introduce a more digital and simplified registration system while permitting 24×7 operations subject to employee-welfare safeguards.
The Rules also establish an important connection between the local Shops and Establishments framework and the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Employers should therefore review their registration status, working-hour systems, night-shift safeguards, safety measures and statutory records to ensure compliance from 12 August 2026 onwards.