Section 63 of the Factories Act 1948: Hours of Work to Match Notice and Register
Section 63 required the actual working hours of an adult factory worker to correspond with the notice of periods of work displayed under Section 61 and the entries made beforehand in the register of adult workers under Section 62.
Text of Section 63 of the Factories Act 1948
63. Hours of work to correspond with notice under section 61 and register under section 62.
No adult worker shall be required or allowed to work in any factory otherwise than in accordance with the notice of periods of work for adults displayed in the factory and the entries made beforehand against his name in the register of adult workers of the factory.
Meaning of Section 63
Section 63 linked three things: the worker's actual hours of work, the displayed notice of periods of work under Section 61, and the entries made in the register of adult workers under Section 62. The provision therefore operated as a compliance rule against requiring or allowing an adult worker to work outside the scheduled and recorded periods.
What was an adult worker?
Under Section 2(a) of the Factories Act, 1948, an "adult" meant a person who had completed eighteen years of age. Section 63 specifically governed adult workers in factories under that Act.
Connection with Section 61
Section 61 of the Factories Act dealt with the notice of periods of work for adults. Section 63 required work to be performed consistently with that displayed notice.
Connection with Section 62
Section 62 of the Factories Act dealt with the register of adult workers. Section 63 required the worker's hours also to correspond with the entries made beforehand against that worker's name in the register.
Present law under the OSHWC Code 2020
The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 consolidates central laws concerning occupational safety, health and working conditions. It has been in force since 21 November 2025.
Section 25 of the OSHWC Code deals with weekly and daily working hours and related matters. It provides the statutory framework under which a worker cannot be required or allowed to work beyond periods and daily hours notified by the appropriate Government, subject to the structure laid down in that section. Current compliance should therefore be assessed under the Code together with applicable rules and notifications rather than by treating Section 63 of the repealed Factories Act as the current operative provision.
Factories Act, 1948 - India Code
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 - India Code
Notification S.O. 5321(E), dated 21 November 2025 - Ministry of Labour and Employment
Why Section 63 remains relevant
Although the Factories Act, 1948 has been replaced in the central labour-law framework, its provisions can remain relevant when examining compliance, records, disputes or events relating to a period when that Act was in force. The legal position for any particular dispute depends on the relevant dates, applicable saving provisions, rules, notifications and facts.
Related provisions of the Factories Act 1948
Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. This page is an informational legal reference and should be read with the current statute, rules and notifications applicable to the establishment and relevant period.