DoPT News: Govt has released List of Holidays to be observed in Central Government Offices during the year 2026 [DoPT Order]
Department of Personnel and Training (DoP&T), Government of India, has released the official list of holidays for Central Government offices & employees for the year 2026. The list of holidays for central government employees is issued via Office Memorandum No: F.No.12/2/2023-JCA dated July 3, 2025.
Central Government Office Holidays Located in New Delhi/Delhi
All Central Government administrative offices in Delhi and New Delhi will follow the holidays specified in Annexure-I of the order. In addition to these, each employee can also choose any two holidays from the list of Restricted Holidays listed in Annexure-II of the DoPT order.
Central Government Office Holidays Locatec Outside New Delhi/Delhi
Offices located outside Delhi/New Delhi must compulsorily observe 14 holidays as follows:
- REPUBLIC DAY
- INDEPENDENCE DAY
- MАНАТМА GANDHI’S BIRTHDAY
- BUDDHA PURNIMA
- CHRISTMAS DAY
- DUSSEHRA (VIJAY DASHMI)
- DIWALI (DEEPAVALI)
- GOOD FRIDAY
- GURU NANAK’S BIRTHDAY
- IDU’L FITR
- IDU’L ZUHA
- MAHAVIR JAYANTI
- MUHARRAM
- PROРНЕТ МОНAMMAD’S BIRTHDAY (ID-E-MILAD)
In addition, outside Delhi/New Delhi offices can select three more holidays from a list of 12 optional holidays as follows:
- AN ADDITIONAL DAY FOR DUSSEHRA
- HOLI
- JANAMASHTAMI (VAISHNAVI)
- RAM NAVAMI
- MAHA SHIVRATRI
- GANESH CHATURTHI / VINAYAK CHATURTHI
- MAKAR SANKARANTI
- RATH YATRA
- ONAM
- PONGAL
- SRI PANCHAMI/ BASANT PANCHAMI
- VISHU/ VAISAKHI / VAISAKHADI / BHAG BIHU / MASHADI UGADI /
CHAITRA SUKLADI / CHETI CHAND / GU
Selection of an additional 3 holidays from the 12 optional holidays will be finalized by the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committees in respective state capitals.
For Delhi offices, three optional holidays are selected centrally by DoP&T.
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DoPT has also clarified that no additional holiday will be given if a holiday falls on a weekend or the same day as another holiday. Changes to dates of holidays like Eid, Muharram, and Id-e-Milad may be announced later, depending on the moon sighting.
According to point 6 on page 2 of the OM, “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.“
Union Territory Administrations shall decide the list of holidays in terms of Instructions issued in this regard by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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.
This announcement helps all departments and employees plan their schedules and vacations well in advance for 2026.
ANNEXURE-I
LIST OF HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR 2026 TO BE OBSERVED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LOCATED AT DELHI / NEW DELHI
| S.No. | Holiday | Date | Saka Date | Day |
| SAKA ERA 1947 | ||||
| 1. | Republic Day | January 26 | Magha 06 | Monday |
| 2. | Holi | March 04 | Phalguna 13 | Wednesday |
| 3. | ld-ul-Fitr | March 21 | Phalguna 30 | Saturday |
| SAKA ERA 1948 | ||||
| 4. | Ram Navami | March 26 | Chaitra 05 | Thursday |
| 5. | Mahavir Jayanti | March 31 | Chaitra 10 | Tuesday |
| 6. | Good Friday | April 03 | Chaitra 13 | Friday |
| 7. | Budha Purnima | May 01 | Vaisakha 11 | Friday |
| 8. | ld-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | May 27 | Jyaishtha 06 | Wednesday |
| 9. | Muharram | June 26 | Ashadha 05 | Friday |
| 10. | Independence Day | August 15 | Sravana 24 | Saturday |
| 11. | Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e-Milad Birthday of Prophet Mohammad) | August 26 | Bhadra 04 | Wednesday |
| 12. | Janmashtami (Vaishnva) | September 04 | Bhadra 13 | Friday |
| 13. | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday | October 02 | Asvina 10 | Friday |
| 14. | Dussehra | October 20 | Asvina 28 | Tuesday |
| 15. | Diwali (Deepavali) | November 08 | Kartika 17 | Sunday |
| 16. | Guru Nanak’s Birthday | November 24 | Agrahayana 03 | Tuesday |
| 17. | Christmas Day | December 25 | Pausha 04 | Friday |
ANNEXURE-II
LIST OF RESTRICTED HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR 2026 IN RESPECT OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES OF CENTRAL GOVERNMENT LOCATED AT DELHI / NEW DELHI
| S.No | Holiday | Date | Saka Date | Day |
| SAKA ERA 1947 | ||||
| 1. | New Year’s Day | January 01 | Pausha 11 | Thursday |
| 2. | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | January 03 | Pausha 13 | Saturday |
| 3. | Makar Sankranti | January 14 | Pausha 24 | Wednesday |
| 4. | Magha Bihu I Pongal | January 14 | Pausha 24 | Wednesday |
| 5. | Sri Panchami, Basant Panchami | January 23 | Magha 03 | Friday |
| 6. | Guru Ravi Das’s Birthday | February 01 | Magha 12 | Sunday |
| 7. | Birthday of Swami Dayananda Saraswati | February 12 | Magha 23 | Thursday |
| 8. | Maha Shivratri | February 15 | Magha 26 | Sunday |
| 9. | Shiva ji Jayanti | February 19 | Magha 30 | Thursday |
| 10. | Holika dahan | March 03 | Phalguna 12 | Tuesday |
| 11. | Dolyatra | March 03 | Phalguna 12 | Tuesday |
| 12. | Chaitra Sukladi /Gudi Padava/Ugadi/ Cheti Chand | March 19 | Phalguna 28 | Thursday |
| 13. | Jamat-Ul-Vida | March 20 | Phalguna 29 | Friday |
| SAKA ERA 1948 | ||||
| 14. | Easter Sunday | April 05 | Chaitra 15 | Sunday |
| 15. | Vaisakhi Nisu/ Meshadi (Tamil New Year’s Day) | April 14 | Chaitra 24 | Tuesday |
| 16. | Vaisakhadi (Bengal)I Bahag Bihu (Assam) | April 15 | Chaitra 25 | Wednesday |
| 17. | Birthday of Guru Rabindranath Tagore | May 09 | Vaisakha 19 | Saturday |
| 18. | Rath Yatra | July 16 | Ashadha 25 | Thursday |
| 19. | Parsi New Year’s day I Nauraj | August 15 | Sravana 24 | Saturday |
| 20. | Onam or Thiru Onam Day | August 26 | Bhadra 04 | Wednesday |
| 21. | Raksha Bandhan | August 28 | Bhadra 06 | Friday |
| 22. | Ganesh Chaturthi /Vinayak Chaturthi | September 14 | Bhadra 23 | Monday |
| 23. | Dusshera (Saptami) | October 18 | Asvina 26 | Sunday |
| 24. | Dussehra (Mahashtami) | October 19 | Asvina 27 | Monday |
| 25. | Dussehra (Mahanavmi) | October 20 | Asvina 28 | Tuesday |
| 26. | Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday | October 26 | Kartika 04 | Monday |
| 27. | Karaka Chaturthi (Karwa Chouth) | October 29 | Kartika 07 | Thursday |
| 28. | Naraka Chaturdasi | November 08 | Kartika 17 | Sunday |
| 29. | Govardhan Puja | November 09 | Kartika 18 | Monday |
| 30. | Bhai Duj | November 11 | Kartika 20 | Wednesday |
| 31. | Pratihar Shashthi or Surya Shashthi (Chhat Puja) | November 15 | Kartika 24 | Sunday |
| 32. | Guru Teg Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day | November 24 | Agrahayana 03 | Tuesday |
| 33. | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | December 23 | Pausha 02 | Wednesday |
| 34. | Christmas Eve | December 24 | Pausha 03 | Thursday |
