Women on the Night Shift in Karnataka: CCTV, 45-Day Storage and the Other Conditions
Can a Karnataka factory run women from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.? Yes, with consent and conditions. Karnataka's last statutory list, the Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2023, required CCTV inside, around and along women's routes, stored at least 45 days, and CCTV with GPS in every vehicle. The Factories Act it amended was repealed on 21 Nov 2025; under the OSH Code, the State sets the night-work conditions for a factory.
Last checked: 14 Oct 2026
By the Mama Editorial Team.
Verified against
- Factories (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2023 (Karnataka Act No. 33 of 2023), Karnataka Gazette Extraordinary No. 379, 7 Aug 2023; President's assent 10 Jul 2023; s.1(2): "It shall come into force at once", so in force from publication on 7 Aug 2023. Section 7 substitutes section 66. Gazette PDF: a third-party copy of the Gazette issue, digitally signed for the Gazette on 7 Aug 2023. No official copy found (Gazette and DPAL sites unreachable; PRS India holds only the Bill).
- Notification LD 61 KaBaSe 2015, 20 Nov 2019, Labour Department, signed by the Additional Secretary: 24 conditions. Signed scan: a third-party scan of the signed order.
- OSH Code, 2020, ss. 2(1)(d), 43 and 143 (Gazette of India). OSH (Central) Rules, 2026, r.83, G.S.R. 345(E) of 8 May 2026 (Gazette of India).
- Checked 14 Oct 2026.
The conditions, and what each one means for cameras
The 2023 Act substituted section 66 with a rule and a proviso. Clause (a) says no woman shall work "except between the hours of 6 A.M. to 7 P.M". The proviso then allows work "between the hours of 7 P.M to 6 A.M" subject to sixteen conditions. Those touching cameras, records or the roster:
| 2023 Act condition (s.66 proviso) | Exact wording (extract) | What it means for cameras and records |
|---|---|---|
| (vi) Lighting and CCTV | "proper lighting and CCTV coverage not only inside the factory, but also surrounding of the factory and to all places where the female workers may move out of necessity in the course of work" | Cover the gate, perimeter, parking, the routes to toilets and canteen, stairs and the work areas used at night. |
| (vi) Storage | "CCTV coverage shall be storage for not less than forty five days" | The recorder must hold at least 45 days for those cameras. No resolution, frame rate or camera count is specified. |
| (x) Transport | "each transportation vehicle shall also be equipped with CCTV camera and GPS" | Every pick-up and drop vehicle needs a camera and a GPS unit. The Act states no storage period for vehicle cameras. |
| (viii) Gate security | "Sufficient women security… at the entry as well as exit point" | Gate cameras record; they do not count as security staff. |
| (vii), (xi), (xii) Roster | batch "not less than ten"; women ≥ "1/3rd" of night supervisors; "twelve consecutive hours of rest" on shift change | Roster and timekeeping records, not video. |
| (xiv) Privacy | women's phone numbers, email and address "shall not be disclosed to unauthorised persons" | Restrict who can see transport and route data. |
| (xv) Routes | no woman "picked up first and dropped last" | Plan the routes. GPS logs show what actually happened. |
| (xvi) Consent | "It shall not be made compulsory or obligatory"; "Written consent shall be obtained" | Keep a signed consent per woman. Video cannot prove consent. |
Conditions (i)–(v) cover sexual-harassment prevention and an in-factory complaint mechanism; (ix) rest rooms; (xiii) driver bio-data and antecedent screening, including outsourced drivers. Clause (b): "no change of shifts except after a weekly holiday or any other holiday".
Where the 2019 notification and the 2023 Act differ
The 2019 notification cited the Madras High Court's ruling (W.P. 4604-06 of 1999) striking down section 66(1)(b), and "allows employment of women workers, who come forward to work during night shifts". The 2023 Act put a near-identical list into the statute.
| Point | 2019 notification (LD 61 KaBaSe 2015) | 2023 Act (s.66 as substituted) |
|---|---|---|
| CCTV scope | Inside, surroundings, places women move "in the course of such shift" | Same, but "in the course of work" |
| Storage | "not less than forty five days" | "not less than forty five days" |
| Vehicles | "CCTV Camera" | "CCTV camera and GPS" |
| Women as share of night shift | Batch of ≥10 and "not less than 2/3rd of the total strength" | Batch of ≥10 only; the 2/3 rule is not in the Act |
| Fortnightly report to Inspector of Factories | Yes, plus an express report of any untoward incident to the Inspector and the local police station | Not in the Act |
| Women wardens | At least two per night shift | Not in the Act |
| Emergency vehicle where more than 100 women work a shift | Yes | Not in the Act |
| Driver screening, route order, contact privacy | Not present | Added |
| Withdrawal | Chief Inspector "may by an order withdraw the permission" | Not stated in s.66 |
Some summaries still quote the 2/3 rule; the 2023 Act does not contain it.
Has the OSH Code changed this?
Yes. Here is what the texts say (checked 14 Oct 2026).
- The base Act is repealed. OSH Code s.143(1) repealed the Factories Act, 1948, including section 66 as the 2023 Act substituted it, from 21 Nov 2025.
- Old notifications stay within limits. Under s.143(3), anything done under the repealed Acts, "including any rule, regulation, bye-laws, notification", shall "remain in force to the extent they are not contrary to the provisions of this Code till they are repealed by the Central Government". The 2019 list was a notification under the Factories Act; the 2023 list was the text of the Act itself.
- The OSH Code sets the frame. Section 43 allows women to work "before 6 a.m. and beyond 7 p.m." with their consent, "subject to such conditions… as may be prescribed by the appropriate Government". For a factory, that government is the State (s.2(1)(d)(ii)).
- The Central Rules bind central-sphere establishments, not a private Karnataka factory. Their r.83(d) asks for "closed-circuit television surveillance on the way to" toilets, washrooms and drinking water, with no retention period.
What to do. Keeping the 2023 list in place, including 45-day storage and vehicle CCTV with GPS, meets every camera and storage condition named in the 2019 and 2023 texts. Ask the Department of Factories, Boilers, Industrial Safety and Health which conditions it applies to your permission. The OSH Code and factory CCTV explainer covers the national frame.
Worked example: how much storage 45 days takes
Assume 16 cameras cover the gate, perimeter, parking, toilet and canteen corridors and the night work areas, recording continuously. The bitrates below are assumptions for illustration. Your recorder's actual figures will differ.
| Assumed stream | Per camera per day (GB) | Per camera for 45 days (TB) | 16 cameras for 45 days (TB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p H.265 at 2 Mbps | 21.6 | 0.97 | 15.6 |
| 1080p H.264 at 4 Mbps | 43.2 | 1.94 | 31.1 |
Arithmetic: Mbps ÷ 8 × 86,400 s × 45 days. The Act sets a period, not a format, so the codec decides the disk count. Run your own numbers in the storage calculator for N cameras × 45 days.
What breaks in a factory
- The NVR overwrites at 20–30 days. Check the oldest footage date on each channel, not the recorder's total.
- Dark perimeter. IR-only images of an unlit yard rarely show who was there.
- Power cuts. A recorder without UPS loses the night it should cover.
- Vehicle footage nobody keeps. The transport contract should say who keeps vehicle footage and GPS logs, and for how long.
- Cameras where they must not be. Routes to toilets, yes; inside toilets or changing rooms, never. Footage of workers is personal data, so put up a notice: see the worker CCTV notice under DPDP.
What to ask your installer and the inspectorate
- Installer: Show the oldest recording on every channel; it must be at least 45 days old. Export a timestamped clip.
- Transport vendor: Show the GPS track and camera footage for a named night trip last month.
- Inspectorate: Which list applies after the Factories Act's repeal: the 2023 s.66 conditions or the 2019 notification (with its fortnightly report)? When will final OSH rules be notified?
Other states set different numbers. Compare them in the state tracker and on the Tamil Nadu page.
Where Mama fits
Mama reads a factory's existing cameras over RTSP/ONVIF and each morning tells the owner, in plain language, where machine hours were lost yesterday; people are counted only in aggregate. To check whether your cameras can do this, Leave an email or phone in the form below.
FAQ
Can women work night shifts in factories in Karnataka?
Yes. OSH Code s.43 allows it with consent, on State-set conditions. Karnataka's 2023 Act listed sixteen conditions, including written consent; night work can never be compulsory.
What is the CCTV retention period for women's night shifts in Karnataka?
At least 45 days in both the 2019 notification and the 2023 Act. Neither text sets a resolution or camera count, or a period for vehicle cameras. The OSH (Central) Rules set no retention period, and they bind central-sphere establishments only.
Do transport vehicles need CCTV in Karnataka?
Yes. The 2023 Act requires each vehicle to be "equipped with CCTV camera and GPS", with security guards including a female guard. The 2019 notification did not mention GPS.