The Central Government of India has officially released the 2026 public holiday schedule, outlining 14 compulsory holidays, 12 optional holidays, and a detailed list of gazetted and restricted holidays for government offices nationwide.​

Compulsory holidays include major national observances such as Republic Day on January 26, Independence Day on August 15, Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday on October 2, and religious festivals like Buddha Purnima on May 1, Dussehra (Vijay Dashmi) on October 20, Diwali (Deepavali) on November 8, Good Friday on April 3, Guru Nanak’s Birthday on November 24, Christmas Day on December 25, Idu’l Fitr, Idu’l Zuha, Mahavir Jayanti, Muharram, and Prophet Mohammad’s Birthday (Id-e-Milad). These apply uniformly across all central government departments.​

Gazetted holidays feature specific dates like Holi on March 4, Id-ul-Fitr on March 21, Ram Navami on March 26, Mahavir Jayanti on March 31, Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) on May 27, Muharram on June 26, Milad-un-Nabi on August 26, Janmashtami on September 4, and others aligning with the compulsory list. For offices in Delhi/New Delhi, the Department of Personnel & Training selects three optional holidays from a list including Holi, Maha Shivratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Pongal, and regional festivals like Vishu, Vaisakhi, or Chhath Pooja.​

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Employees outside Delhi must observe 14 mandatory national holidays and choose three additional days in consultation with local Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committees. Restricted holidays, numbering around 30, offer further flexibility with options like New Year's Day on January 1, Makar Sankranti on January 14, Rath Yatra on July 16, Raksha Bandhan on August 28, and Karva Chauth on October 29, allowing up to two selections alongside compulsory ones.​

This structured calendar accommodates India's diverse cultural and religious landscape, with moon-sighting festivals like Eid subject to exact date confirmations. Government employees should check official DoPT circulars for state-specific variations and plan leaves accordingly.​

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