The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), following the direction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has released the list of holidays to be observed by Central Government offices during calendar year 2026.
Central Government offices in Delhi/New Delhi will observe 17 compulsory holidays and allow employees to choose any two holidays from a list of 34 restricted holidays.
✅ List of Compulsory Holidays (Annexure-I)
| S.No | Holiday | Date | Day |
| 1 | Republic Day | 26 January | Monday |
| 2 | Holi | 4 March | Wednesday |
| 3 | Id-ul-Fitr | 21 March | Saturday |
| 4 | Ram Navami | 26 March | Thursday |
| 5 | Mahavir Jayanti | 31 March | Tuesday |
| 6 | Good Friday | 3 April | Friday |
| 7 | Buddha Purnima | 1 May | Friday |
| 8 | Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | 27 May | Wednesday |
| 9 | Muharram | 26 June | Friday |
| 10 | Independence Day | 15 August | Saturday |
| 11 | Milad-un-Nabi / Id-e-Milad | 26 August | Wednesday |
| 12 | Janmashtami (Vaishnava) | 4 September | Friday |
| 13 | Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday | 2 October | Friday |
| 14 | Dussehra (Vijayadashami) | 20 October | Tuesday |
| 15 | Diwali (Deepavali) | 8 November | Sunday |
| 16 | Guru Nanak’s Birthday | 24 November | Tuesday |
| 17 | Christmas Day | 25 December | Friday |
🟡 Restricted Holidays (Choose Any 2) – Annexure-II
| S.No | Holiday | Date | Day |
| 1 | New Year’s Day | 1 January | Thursday |
| 2 | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday | 3 January | Saturday |
| 3 | Makar Sankranti | 14 January | Wednesday |
| 4 | Magha Bihu / Pongal | 14 January | Wednesday |
| 5 | Sri Panchami / Basant Panchami | 23 January | Friday |
| 6 | Guru Ravidas’s Birthday | 1 February | Sunday |
| 7 | Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s Birthday | 12 February | Thursday |
| 8 | Maha Shivratri | 15 February | Sunday |
| 9 | Shivaji Jayanti | 19 February | Thursday |
| 10 | Holika Dahan | 3 March | Tuesday |
| 11 | Dolyatra | 3 March | Tuesday |
| 12 | Chaitra Sukladi / Gudi Padava / Ugadi / Cheti Chand | 19 March | Thursday |
| 13 | Jamat-ul-Vida | 20 March | Friday |
| 14 | Easter Sunday | 5 April | Sunday |
| 15 | Vaisakhi / Vishu / Meshadi (Tamil New Year) | 14 April | Tuesday |
| 16 | Vaisakhadi / Bahag Bihu | 15 April | Wednesday |
| 17 | Rabindranath Tagore’s Birthday | 10 May | Saturday |
| 18 | Rath Yatra | 16 July | Thursday |
| 19 | Parsi New Year / Navroz | 15 August | Saturday |
| 20 | Onam / Thiru Onam Day | 26 August | Wednesday |
| 21 | Raksha Bandhan | 28 August | Friday |
| 22 | Ganesh Chaturthi / Vinayaka Chaturthi | 14 September | Monday |
| 23 | Dussehra (Saptami) | 18 October | Sunday |
| 24 | Dussehra (Mahashtami) | 19 October | Monday |
| 25 | Dussehra (Mahanavami) | 20 October | Tuesday |
| 26 | Maharishi Valmiki’s Birthday | 26 October | Monday |
| 27 | Karva Chauth (Karaka Chaturthi) | 29 October | Thursday |
| 28 | Naraka Chaturdashi | 8 November | Sunday |
| 29 | Govardhan Puja | 9 November | Monday |
| 30 | Bhai Duj | 11 November | Wednesday |
| 31 | Chhath Puja (Surya Shashthi / Pratihar Shashthi) | 15 November | Sunday |
| 32 | Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom Day | 24 November | Tuesday |
| 33 | Hazarat Ali’s Birthday (second listing) | 23 December | Wednesday |
| 34 | Christmas Eve | 24 December | Thursday |
📝 Key Guidelines:
- Employees in Delhi/New Delhi can avail 2 restricted holidays from the above list.
- No substitute holiday shall be given if a listed holiday falls on a weekend or non-working day.
- Holidays related to moon sightings (Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram, Id-e-Milad) are subject to change, and announcements may be made at short notice.
- Diwali (November 8, 2026) falls on a Sunday, but States that observe Naraka Chaturdashi may shift the holiday accordingly.
- State Coordination Committees will determine additional holidays for Central Government offices outside Delhi, based on local customs.