Section 68 of the Factories Act 1948: Non-Adult Workers to Carry Tokens
Section 68 formed part of Chapter VII of the Factories Act, 1948 dealing with the employment of young persons. It required specified young workers to have a valid fitness certificate held by the factory manager and to carry a token referring to that certificate while at work.
Text of Section 68
68. Non-adult workers to carry tokens.
A child who had completed the age specified by the provision, or an adolescent, could not be required or allowed to work in a factory unless:
- a certificate of fitness granted under Section 69 was in the custody of the factory manager; and
- the child or adolescent carried, while at work, a token referring to that certificate.
The paragraph above explains the statutory requirement in reader-friendly form. For the authoritative historical wording, see the official India Code text linked below.
What Section 68 Required
The provision created two linked safeguards. First, the factory manager had to hold the worker's certificate of fitness granted under Section 69. Second, the young worker had to carry a token that identified or referred to that certificate while working. The purpose was to connect the worker present in the factory with the medical fitness certification required by the Act.
Meaning of Related Legal Provisions
Section 67 - Prohibition on Employment of Young Children
Section 67 prohibited employment in a factory of a child below the minimum age stated in that provision. It operated as the threshold restriction before the certification requirements concerning eligible young persons.
Section 69 - Certificate of Fitness
Section 69 dealt with examination of a young person by a certifying surgeon and the grant or renewal of a certificate of fitness where the statutory conditions were satisfied. Section 68 depended directly on this certificate because the manager had to keep it and the worker's token had to refer to it.
Section 70 - Effect of Certificate of Fitness
Section 70 governed the legal effect of a certificate of fitness granted to an adolescent for purposes of the Factories Act, subject to the terms of the provision.
Why Section 68 Still Matters
Although Section 68 is no longer a current compliance provision after repeal of the Factories Act, it can remain relevant when examining historical employment records, past inspections, proceedings, liabilities, rights or events arising during the period when the 1948 Act applied. The saving provisions of the new labour-code framework should be considered where a legacy issue is involved.
Official Legal Resources
Factories Act, 1948 - official historical text on India Code
Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 - India Code
Related Sections
For the surrounding statutory scheme, see Section 67 - Prohibition of employment of young children, Section 69 - Certificates of fitness, and Section 70 - Effect of certificate of fitness granted to adolescent.
Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. This page is for legal information and historical reference and is not a substitute for advice on the facts of a particular matter.