By Central Pay Commission Admin
Calendar Alert 2026: DoPT Releases Official Holiday List—Plan Your 5 ‘Long Weekends’ Now (Diwali Falls on Sunday)
New Delhi | January 4, 2026
NEW DELHI: The Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) has officially notified the Gazetted and Restricted Holidays for the year 2026. For central government employees, the calendar is a mixed bag. While there are five confirmed long weekends perfect for utilizing your new LTC Block 2026-29, there is disappointment too—key festivals like Diwali and Independence Day fall on weekends, “eating up” your holidays.
According to the circular, there are 17 Compulsory Gazetted Holidays. However, the biggest relief comes in January, April, and October, where holidays align with Fridays or Mondays to create natural 3-day breaks.
✈️ The 5 Golden ‘Long Weekends’ of 2026
Don’t waste leave! Mark these dates for your family trips:
- Republic Day: Jan 24 (Sat) – Jan 26 (Mon) [3 Days]
- Good Friday: Apr 3 (Fri) – Apr 5 (Sun) [3 Days]
- Buddha Purnima: May 1 (Fri) – May 3 (Sun) [3 Days]
- Gandhi Jayanti: Oct 2 (Fri) – Oct 4 (Sun) [3 Days]
- Christmas: Dec 25 (Fri) – Dec 27 (Sun) [3 Days]
The “Bad Luck” List: Holidays You Lose
Employees will miss out on extra off-days for two major events. Independence Day (Aug 15) falls on a Saturday, and Diwali (Deepavali) falls on November 8 (Sunday). Since these are “Compulsory Holidays,” no substitute off is given if they overlap with a weekend.
| Occasion | Date (2026) | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Republic Day | Jan 26 | Monday |
| Holi | Mar 4 | Wednesday |
| Mahavir Jayanti | Mar 31 | Tuesday |
| Good Friday | Apr 3 | Friday |
| Buddha Purnima | May 1 | Friday |
| Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | May 27 | Wednesday |
| Independence Day | Aug 15 | Saturday |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Oct 2 | Friday |
| Dussehra | Oct 20 | Tuesday |
| Diwali | Nov 8 | Sunday |
| Christmas | Dec 25 | Friday |