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Mandatory Gazetted Holidays (Must Observe)

These are the core national, religious, and cultural days that all Central Government offices across India must be closed for.³ The list reflects India’s diversity.

The catch with the Islamic holidays—Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram, and Id-e-Milad—is that their dates may shift based on the sighting of the moon.And then the government follows up with a separate notification closer to the time.

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Optional Restricted Holidays (Employees Choose Two)

Apart from the mandatory list, the Central Government gives employees flexibility.⁷ Each employee is allowed to choose any two holidays from a longer list of Restricted Holidays (RHs).⁸ This helps people observe local traditions, which is super useful.

• Major Optional Holidays include: Holi, Janmashtami, Ram Navami, Maha Shivratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Onam, Pongal, Makar Sankranti, Rath Yatra, Karwa Chauth, and Chhath Puja.

• Regional Flexibility: Offices outside of Delhi/New Delhi can adjust this list.¹¹ State-level coordination committees can change the dates based on state or regional customs.¹² For example, if a State Government declares a holiday on Naraka Chaturdashi (the day before the main Diwali, which falls on a Sunday, November 8, 2026), the Central Government offices in that state will follow suit.

Key Gazetted Holidays in Delhi/New Delhi (The Dates)

The standard list for the national capital region is the benchmark. A few key dates are:

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The post Central Govt Holidays 2026: Full List of Mandatory & Restricted Days. first appeared on Rightsofemployees.com.