Holidays to be observed in Central Government Offices during the year 2026

F.No.12/2/2023-JCA
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
(Department of Personnel and Training)
Establishment (JCA) Section
North Block, New Delhi
Dated the 3^{rd } July, 2025
OFFICE MEMORANDUM
Subject: Holidays to be observed in Central Government Offices during the year 2026- reg.
It has been decided that the holidays, as specified in the Annexure -I to this O.M., will be observed in all the Administrative Offices of the Central Government located at Delhi/New Delhi during the year 2026. In addition, each employee will also be allowed to avail himself/herself of any two holidays to be chosen by him/her out of the list of Restricted Holidays specified at Annexure – II.

2. Central Government Administrative Offices located outside Delhi / New Delhi shall observe the following holidays compulsorily in addition to three holidays, to be chosen out of the 12 optional holidays indicated below at para 3.1:

3. REPUBLIC DAY

4. INDEPENDENCE DAY

5. MAHATMA GANDHI’S BIRTHDAY

6. BUDDHA PURNIMA

7. CHRISTMAS DAY

8. DUSSEHRA (VIJAY DASHMI)

9. DIWALI (DEEPAVALI)

10. GOOD FRIDAY

11. GURU NANAK’S BIRTHDAY

12. IDU’L FITR

13. IDU’L ZUHA

14. MAHAVIR JAYANTI

15. MUHARRAM

16. PROPHET MOHAMMAD’S BIRTHDAY (ID-E-MILAD)
    3.1. For offices located in New Delhi/Delhi, three holidays are selected by the D/o Personnel & Training and for the offices located outside Delhi/New Delhi three holidays are to be chosen by the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee in the State Capitals, if necessary, in consultation with Coordination Committees at other places in the State, from the list indicated below. The final list, applicable uniformly to all Central Government offices within the concerned State, shall be notified accordingly and no change can be carried out thereafter. It is also clarified that no change is permissible in the festivals and dates, as indicated at Annexure -I and Annexure-II baring a few exceptions indicated at para 5.1 and 5.2 hereinafter. The 12 optional holidays are as follows:

17. AN ADDITIONAL DAY FOR DUSSEHRA

18. HOLI

19. JANAMASHTAMI (VAISHNAVI)

20. RAM NAVAMI

21. MAHA SHIVRATRI

22. GANESH CHATURTHI / VINAYAK CHATURTHI

23. MAKAR SANKARANTI

24. RATH YATRA

25. ONAM

26. PONGAL

27. SRI PANCHAMI / BASANT PANCHAMI

28. VISHU/ VAISAKHI / VAISAKHADI / BHAG BIHU / MASHADI UGADI / CHAITRA SUKLADI / CHETI CHAND / GUDI PADAVA /1 { }^{ST } NAVRATRA / NAORAZ/CHHATH POOJA/KARVA CHAUTH.

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3.2 No substitute holiday should be allowed if any of the festival holidays, initially declared, subsequently happens to fall on a weekly off or any other non-working day or in the event of more than one festival falling on the same day.

4. The list of Restricted Holidays appended as Annexure-II to this O.M. is meant for Central Government Offices located in Delhi / New Delhi. The Coordination Committees at the State Capitals may draw up separate list of Restricted Holidays keeping in view the occasions of local importance. However, the 9 occasions left over, after choosing the 3 variable holidays in para 3.1 above, are also to be included in the list of restricted holidays.

5.1 For offices in Delhi / New Delhi, any change in the date of holidays in respect of Idu’l Fitr, Idu’l Zuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad, if necessary, depending upon sighting of the Moon, would be declared by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, after ascertaining the position from the Govt. of NCT of Delhi (DCP, Special Branch, Delhi Police).

5.2 For offices outside Delhi / New Delhi, the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committees at the State Capitals are authorised to change the date of holiday, if necessary, based on the decision of the concerned State Governments / Union Territories, in respect of Idu’lFitr, Idu’IZuha, Muharram and Id-e-Milad.

5.3 It may happen that the change of date in respect of the above occasions has to be declared at a very short notice. In such a situation, announcement could be made through P.I.B/T.V./A.I.R./ Newspapers and the Heads of Department / Offices of the Central Government may take action according to such an announcement, without waiting for a formal order, about the change of date.

6. During 2026, Diwali (Deepavali) falls on Sunday, November 08, 2026 (Kartika 17). In certain States, the practice is to celebrate the occasion a day in advance, i.e., on “Naraka Chaturdasi Day”. In view of this, there is no objection if holiday on account of Deepavali is observed on “Naraka Chaturdasi Day” (in place of Deepavali Day) in the Central Government Offices in a State if in that State that day alone is declared as a compulsory holiday for Diwali for the offices of the State Government.

7. Central Government Organisations which include industrial, commercial and trading establishments would observe upto 16 holidays in a year including three national holidays viz. Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, as compulsory holidays. The remaining holidays / occasions may be determined by such establishments/organisations themselves for the year 2026, subject to para 3.2 above.

8. Union Territory Administrations shall decide the list of holidays in terms of Instructions issued in this regard by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

9. In respect of Indian Missions abroad, the number of holidays may be notified in accordance with the instructions contained in this Department’s O.M. No.12/5/2002-JCA dated 17th December, 2002. In other words, they will have the option to select 12 (Twelve) holidays of their own only after including in the list, three National Holidays, Id-ul-Fitr and Diwali, included in the list of compulsory holidays and falling on days of weekly off.

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6. In respect of Banks, the holidays shall be regulated in terms of the extant instructions issued by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance.

7. Hindi version will follow.

(Parveen Jargar)
Deputy Secretary to the Govt. of India
23092338

To :

1. All Ministries/ Departments of Government of India.

2. UPSC/CVC/C&AG/PMO/Lok Sabha Secretariat/Rajya Sabha Secretariat/President’s Secretariat/Vice-President’s Secretariat/ Supreme Court/High Court of the States/Central Administrative Tribunal Principal Bench/ Election Commission of India/Minorities Commission/ National Human Rights Commission/Central Information Commission/National Commission for Women/National Commission for SC/NCST/NCBC.

3. All attached and subordinate offices of Ministry of Personnel, P.G. & Pensions.

4. Secretary, Staff Side, National Council (JCM), 13-C, Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi.

5. All Staff Side Members of the National Council (JCM).

6. All Staff Side Members of the Departmental Council (JCM), Ministry of Personnel, P.G. and Pensions.

7. Chairman/Secretaries, Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committees (As per updated list from Welfare Section).

8. PS to Cabinet Secretary.

9. Deputy Secretary (Coordination), Delhi Govt. Secretariat, I.G. Stadium, I.T.O., New Delhi.

10. The Manager (Store), Government of India, Forms Store, 166 Lenin Sarai, Kolkata

11. Chief Secretaries to all the State Governments/Union Territories.

12. Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity, PTI Building, New Delhi

13. Deputy Director (Bills), Dte. of Printing, B-Wing, Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi

14. Positional Astronomy Centre, Block-AQ, Plot No.8 Sector-V, Saltlake, Manish Bathan, Kolkata – 700091
    LIST OF HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR 2026 TO BE OBSERVED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LOCATED AT DELHI / NEW DELHI