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Apprentices Act, 1961

Section 6: Period of apprenticeship training

Section 6 of the Apprentices Act, 1961 explained with current 2025-26 amendments, employer controls, evidence and connected Rules.

Law Hub L8Data reviewed on 17 July 2026India-first compliance

What section 6 does

Determines training duration by apprentice category, prior institutional training and the prescribed curriculum.

Connected instrument: Rules 7 and 7A

Finin2min practical reading

  • Identify the apprentice category, trade, establishment jurisdiction and applicable portal before applying the provision.
  • Separate statutory apprenticeship from internships, probation, traineeships and ordinary employment.
  • Do not treat scheme reimbursement as a substitute for the employer’s underlying statutory obligations.
  • Preserve the contract, approvals, portal trail and training evidence as one auditable file.

Employer control and evidence pack

  • Executed/registered contract and portal acknowledgement
  • Training plan, attendance/work diary and supervisor records
  • Stipend bank/DBT evidence where relevant
  • Adviser approval, correspondence or order where the section requires it

Statutory text extract

Extracted from the bundled official/consolidated source. For sections amended in 2026, the current overlay above controls over older consolidated wording.

6. Period of apprenticeship training.—The period of apprenticeship training, which shall be
specified in the contract of apprenticeship, shall be as follows:—
         (a) in the case of 3[trade apprentices] who, having undergone institutional training in a school or
     other institution recognised by the National Council, have passed the trade tests 4[or examinations]
     conducted by 5[that Council or by an institution recognised by that Council], the period of
     apprenticeship training shall be such as may be 6[prescribed];
          7
          [(aa) in the case of trade apprentices who, having undergone institutional training in a school or
     other institution affiliated to or recognised by a Board or State Council of Technical Education or any
     other authority or courses approved under any scheme which the Central Government may, by
     notification in the Official Gazette specify in this behalf, have passed the trade tests or examinations
     conducted by that Board or State Council or authority or by any other agency authorised by the
     Central Government, the period of apprenticeship training shall be such as may be prescribed;]
        (b) in the case of other 3[trade apprentices], the period of apprenticeship training shall be such as
     may be prescribed;
          8
          [(c) in the case of graduate or technician apprentices 9[technician (vocational) apprentices], the
     period of apprenticeship training shall be such as may be prescribed.]


1. Sub-section (5) omitted by 29 of 2014, s. 4 (w.e.f. 22-12-2014).

Compliance consequence

Failure should be tested against sections 30, 31 and 31A as in force from 22 June 2026, alongside contract termination/compensation consequences and any portal or scheme action.

← Section 5BSection 7 →