Delhi Shops and Establishments Act,1954 — Physical PDF page 11 of 27

     (2) No young person shall be employed continuously for more than three and a half hours
without an interval of at least half an hour for rest or meals and the spread over shall not exceed
eight hours on any day.
                                              COMMENTS
     The persons who have completed twelve years of age but are below eighteen years fall
within the definition of “young persons” as given in section 2 (34) of the Act. The provisions of this
section also apply to all kinds of establishments like the preceding section 12 of the Act. Read as
a whole, this section contemplates that (i) no young person can be employed or allowed to work
in any establishment for more than six hours a day; (ii) there must be an interval of at least half an
hour for rest or meals after he has continuously worked for three and a half hours on any day;
and (iii) the periods of work in respect of such persons including the time given for rest or meals
should not exceed more than eight hours on any day. These restrictions are absolute and the
violation of any of these restrictions is an offence punishable under the Act.
     14. Young persons and women to work during day time.—No young person, or woman
shall be allowed or required to work whether as an employee or otherwise in any establishment
between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. during the summer season and between 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. during the
winter season.
                                              COMMENTS
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     Like preceding sections 12 and 13, this section puts restrictions on the employment of young
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persons and women during certain hours. It lays down that no young person or woman can be
required or allowed to work, whether as an employee or otherwise, between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
during summer and between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. during winter. The summer season starts from 1st
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April and ends on 30th September while the winter season starts from 1st October and ends on
31st March of the following year. The Lt. Governor has withdrawn such exemptions available to:
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Akbar Hotel, Hotel Oberoi Intercontinental, Ashok Hotel, The Taj Mahal Hotel and Hotel Sidharth,
New Delhi.
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     15. Opening and closing hours of shops and commercial establishments.—(1) No shop
or commercial establishment on any day, be opened earlier than such hour or closed later than
such hour, as may be fixed by the Government by general or special order made in that behalf:
     Provided that any customer who was being served or was waiting to be served in any shop or
commercial establishment at the closing hour so fixed may be served during the period of fifteen
minutes immediately following such hour.
     (2) Before making an order under sub-section (1), the Government shall hold an enquiry in
such manner as may be prescribed.
     (3) The Government may, for the purposes of this section, fix different opening hours and
different closing hours for different classes of shops or commercial establishments or for different
areas or for different times of the year.
                                              COMMENTS
Opening and closing hours
     The opening and closing hours of all shops, within the urban, semi-urban and rural areas of
the Union Territory of Delhi, whether comprised in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the New
Delhi Municipal Committee or the Delhi Cantonment Board, are 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. respectively,
while in respect of commercial establishments within such territory, the opening and closing hours
are 8 a.m. and 6 p.m respectively, vide Notification No. F. 9(1)/79/LC (S), dated 19th July, 1979.
Same relexations have been given and as such.1
    16. Close day.—(1) Every shop and commercial establishment shall remain closed on a
close day.
    (2) In addition to the close day every shop and commercial establishment shall remain closed
on three of the National holidays each year as the Government may by notification in the Official
Gazette specify.