Notification Record & Forms
Notification details and the forms every employer needs, in one place.
- Issuing authority
- Department of Labour and Employment, Government of Nagaland (Office of the Labour Commissioner, New Secretariat Complex, Kohima)
- Notified
- Draft published, not yet finally notified
- Objection window
- Forty five days from 4 June 2026, closing around 19 July 2026 (the draft rules preamble itself separately mentions thirty days, an inconsistency in the published text; the covering notification's forty five day period is the one that applies, consistent with the two companion Nagaland draft rules issued the same day)
- Legal basis
- Sections 133 and 135 of the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 (Central Act No. 37 of 2020)
- Supersedes
- The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Rules 1985 and the Nagaland Building and Other Constructional Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules 2010
- Status as of
- 24 July 2026, still a draft awaiting final notification
Nagaland has published a draft rulebook that brings factories, construction sites, contractors, plantations and beedi units under one registration and inspection system, and every employer in the state should know what changes for them once it takes effect. The Nagaland Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules 2026 is the state government's draft rulebook for implementing the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 in Nagaland.
It sets out how establishments across factories, construction, contract labour, plantations, beedi manufacturing, motor transport and audio visual production must register, report accidents, maintain records and follow safety norms once the rules are finally notified. The forty five day public objection window opened on 4 June 2026 and closed around 19 July 2026. The State Government is now reviewing objections and suggestions before final notification. As of 24 July 2026, these rules remain in draft form and are not yet legally enforceable.
Forms under the State Rules
Due Dates
Compliance deadlines, forms and how often each one recurs.
| Compliance | Form | Compliance Frequency | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| New establishment registration | Form I | One time, within sixty days of these rules coming into force | Within sixty days of commencement, else a five percent per month compounding late fee applies |
| Updating existing registration held under other state labour laws | Portal update or written intimation | One time | Within six months of these rules coming into force |
| Notice of change in ownership or particulars | Written or portal intimation | As and when it occurs | Within thirty days of the change |
| Notice of commencement or cessation of work | Form IV | As and when it occurs | Within thirty days of commencement or completion |
| Annual health examination of employees in hazardous work, construction, beedi and cigar work | Form V | Annual | Not later than one hundred twenty days from the start of the calendar year |
| Appointment letter for existing employees without one | Prescribed format under Rule 8 | One time | Within three months of these rules coming into force |
| Notice of fatal accident | Form VI | Event based | Immediately, by phone and in writing |
| Notice of accident causing forty eight hours or more disability | Form VI | Event based | Within twelve hours after the forty eight hour period ends |
| Notice of dangerous occurrence | Form VI | Event based | Within twelve hours |
| Notice of notifiable disease | Prescribed format under Rule 10 | Event based | Without delay |
| Action on safety committee recommendations | Internal record | Per recommendation | Within fifteen days of receiving the recommendation |
| Unified annual return | Form IX | Annual | By 1 February following the end of each calendar year |
| Preservation of wage and attendance registers | Form VIII series | Ongoing | One calendar year from the last entry |
| Preservation of leave register | Form XI | Ongoing | Two years from the last entry |
| Factory licence renewal application | Form XXII | Before expiry | Not less than sixty days before the licence expires |
| Contract labour wage payment | Payslip and register entry | Every wage period | Before the seventh day after the wage period ends |
Key Provisions
What changed under the Code, and what it means for payroll.
Old Law vs. New Law
What employers followed before, against what applies now — point matched against point.
| On this point | Before — earlier law | Now — the new Code |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | Separate registrations needed under the Factories Act, the Contract Labour Act, the Building and Other Construction Workers Act and similar laws | One registration for the establishment under Section 3 of the Code, covering all these categories through Form I |
| Contract labour rules | Governed by the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Rules 1985 | Repealed and replaced by Part I of Chapter VIII of these Rules |
| Construction worker rules | Governed by the Nagaland Building and Other Constructional Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules 2010 | Repealed and replaced by the building and construction provisions inside these Rules |
| Licensing | Multiple separate licences for a factory, a contractor and a beedi or cigar premises | A common or single licence can now be sought for more than one category of work under Rule 134 |
| Returns | Different returns filed under each labour law | One unified annual return in Form IX, covering the Occupational Safety Code, the Industrial Relations Code, the Social Security Code and the Wages Code |
| Inspecting officer | Inspectors appointed separately under each labour law | A single cadre of Inspector cum Facilitator under Section 34 of the Code, combining an inspection and advisory role |
| Registration validity | Annual renewal generally required under the older laws | Establishment registration is ordinarily continuous, with no annual renewal needed once granted |
Applicability
Who the Code covers, and who gets special or exempt treatment.
Covered
- Factories as defined under Section 2(w) of the Code
- Establishments engaging contract labour, and the contractors and principal employers involved
- Building and other construction work establishments
- Beedi and cigar manufacturing premises
- Motor transport undertakings
- Plantations
- Inter State Migrant Workers and the employers who engage them
- Producers and workers engaged in audio visual production
- Newspaper establishments employing working journalists and sales promotion employees
Exempted / special treatment
- Establishments the State Government exempts from the registration process by notification in exceptional circumstances, under the proviso to Rule 4(5)
- Establishments already registered under another state labour law get six months to update their particulars instead of filing a fresh registration, under Rule 4(8)
- Editors and, separately, correspondents, reporters and news photographers get different working hour treatment from other working journalists under Rule 28
- Pregnant women are kept out of hazardous or dangerous operations, and where their presence cannot be avoided, the occupier must first put additional safeguards in place, under Rule 103(2)
- Women may work night shifts only with their consent and with transport, lighting and safety conditions in place, rather than a blanket exclusion, under Rule 70
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to what employers ask us most about this rule.
What is the Nagaland Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Rules 2026?
It is the draft rulebook through which the Nagaland government plans to apply the central Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 within the state. It covers registration, safety, working hours, accident reporting and record keeping for employers.
Has this draft already become law in Nagaland?
No. As of 24 July 2026 it is still a draft. The public objection period closed around 19 July 2026, and the State Government now needs to review the feedback and issue a final notification before these rules become legally binding.
Who is responsible for administering these rules?
The Department of Labour and Employment, Government of Nagaland, through the Office of the Labour Commissioner in Kohima, along with Registering Officers, Inspector cum Facilitators and appellate officers appointed under the rules.
Is registration compulsory for every establishment?
Yes, once notified, any establishment covered under Section 3 of the Code, including factories, construction sites, contract labour setups, plantations and beedi units, must register through Form I with the Registering Officer.
What is the deadline for registering an existing establishment?
An employer gets sixty days from the date these rules come into force to apply for registration. Applying late does not block registration, but a compounding late fee of five percent per month applies on top of the normal fee.
Does a factory need anything beyond the basic establishment registration?
Yes. A factory as defined under the Code separately needs plan approval, a certificate of stability for its building, and a factory licence, applied for through Forms XX, XXI and XXII.
What records must an employer maintain?
Employers must maintain registers of workers, attendance, wages, overtime, fines and deductions, plus a leave register and an accident register, generally in English and Hindi or the local language most workers understand.
When must an accident be reported, and to whom?
A fatal accident must be reported immediately by phone and in writing to the Inspector cum Facilitator, the district authorities, the nearest police station and the family of the deceased. Non fatal accidents causing forty eight hours or more of disability must be reported within twelve hours of that period being completed.
Can women be asked to work night shifts under these rules?
Yes, but only with the woman worker's own consent, and only if the employer provides safe transport with pick up and drop, well lit passages and facilities, and does not employ her against maternity benefit protections.
When is a safety committee required?
A safety committee becomes mandatory once an establishment employs one hundred fifty or more workers, or fewer where it handles a hazardous substance or process with fifty or more employees, with equal representation from management and workers.
How soon must contract labour be paid?
A contractor must fix a wage period of no more than one month and pay wages within seven days after that period ends. If the contractor fails to pay, the principal employer must step in and recover the amount later.
What earlier Nagaland laws do these rules replace?
The draft repeals the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Rules 1985 and the Nagaland Building and Other Constructional Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules 2010, folding their subject matter into this single rulebook.
What happens if an employer gives wrong information while registering?
The registration can be cancelled, but only after the employer is given a formal opportunity to show cause as to why it should not be cancelled.
Where can an employer send objections or suggestions on the draft?
Objections and suggestions can be addressed to the Labour Commissioner, Office of the Labour Commissioner, New Secretariat Complex, Nagaland, Kohima 797004, or emailed to the address listed in the gazette notification.
What annual filing does an employer need to complete once these rules take effect?
A single unified annual return in Form IX must be filed by 1 February following the end of each calendar year, covering details across the Occupational Safety, Industrial Relations, Social Security and Wages Codes together.
Sources
Where every fact on this page comes from.
- → The Nagaland Gazette Extraordinary No. 20, Kohima, dated 4 June 2026, Notification No. LAB/DRAFT/LC/1/26/2025-26/196, Department of Labour and Employment, Government of Nagaland (official)
- → Office of the Labour Commissioner, New Secretariat Complex, Nagaland, Kohima 797004 (official)
- → The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code 2020 (Central Act No. 37 of 2020), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India (official)
For informational purposes only — not legal advice. State rules referenced here are subject to change on final notification. Verify current status with our compliance team before acting.