Odisha Cabinet Boosts Work Hours, Enables Women to Work Night Shifts

The Odisha Cabinet approved major labor reforms on Monday. The reforms increase daily work hours to 10 hours in private establishments, while keeping a 48-hour weekly limit. For the first time, women are allowed to work night shifts if they give written consent.

Key Changes in Work Hours

The Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, amended the Factories Act, 1948 to attract investment and create more jobs.

Daily work limit rises from 9 to 10 hours.
Weekly work cap remains 48 hours.
Workers can now work up to 6 continuous hours and 12 hours including breaks.
Overtime pay is doubled for hours beyond the limit.
The quarterly overtime limit increases from 115 to 144 hours.

Night Shifts for Women

Women can work in all types of factory roles. They can also work before 6 a.m. and after 7 p.m., but only with written consent.

“These changes will attract new investments and help factories meet peak demand while increasing productivity,” the government said.

Model Schools Under GAV Scheme

The Cabinet also approved building model schools at the gram panchayat level under the Godabarisha Adarsha Vidyalaya (GAV) scheme.

The scheme follows the Right to Education Act, 2009, NEP 2020, and NIPUN Odisha program.
It focuses on inclusive, quality education and improving literacy and numeracy skills.
In the first phase (2025-28), the government plans 2,200 model schools with a budget of ₹12,000 crore.