Update (April 14, 2026): The Government of India has declared April 14, 2026 (Tuesday) a gazetted holiday for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti — for all Central Government offices and industrial establishments across India. The official order was issued by DoPT on April 9, 2026. See source link at the end of this article.
The Central Government Holidays 2026 list gives you a full picture of every gazetted and restricted holiday observed by central government offices across India. Below you'll find the complete govt holidays calendar for 2026 — month-wise, clearly split between mandatory and optional holidays — so you can plan your year without scrambling at the last minute.
Actually — let me put this clearly before we go into the full tables. Gazetted holidays are the ones where offices shut down, no questions asked. Restricted holidays are optional — employees can pick any two from that list based on personal or religious preference.
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These are mandatory. All Central Government offices stay closed on these dates. No opt-out. Here's the complete list of national holidays in the gazetted category:
So that's 18 gazetted holidays for 2026 — one more than the original 17 after the Ambedkar Jayanti addition. Mark your calendars accordingly.
These are optional. Central government employees pick any two from this list of government holidays based on what matters to them personally:
The upcoming national holidays on the Islamic calendar — Id-ul-Fitr, Id-ul-Zuha, Muharram, and Id-e-Milad — carry a tentative date. Final dates depend on moon sighting and are confirmed by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions closer to the occasion.
The Central Government holiday calendar 2026 is officially issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). And whether you're a government employee planning leaves or just someone trying to figure out the next government holiday before booking a trip — this list covers everything you need.
A: After the addition of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, 2026, there are now 18 gazetted holidays for Central Government employees in 2026. These are mandatory closed holidays observed across all central government offices in India.
A: The next gazetted govt holiday after April is Buddha Purnima on May 1, 2026 (Friday). After that, Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) is tentatively scheduled for May 27, 2026, subject to moon sighting confirmation.
A: Central Government employees can avail any two restricted holidays from the official list in 2026. These are optional and based on personal or religious preference — employees choose what applies to them.
A: Gazetted holidays are uniform for all central government offices across India. But state governments may declare additional regional holidays on top of the central list, which means actual closures can vary by location.
A: Yes. The Government of India officially declared April 14, 2026 as a gazetted holiday for all Central Government offices and industrial establishments for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Jayanti. The DoPT issued this via an Office Memorandum on April 9, 2026.
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