Public Holiday Framework in India

 

Public Holiday Framework in India

India doesn’t have a single central law governing all public holidays — instead, holidays are governed by a mix of Central, State, and local laws, along with specific sector rules.

Here’s how it works:

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1️⃣ National Holidays

There are three mandatory national holidays across India:
✅ Republic Day (26 January)
✅ Independence Day (15 August)
✅ Gandhi Jayanti (2 October)

These are generally observed across all states, government offices, banks, and many private establishments.

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2️⃣ Public/Government Holidays

Governed by:

• Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 → under this, states notify bank and public holidays each year

• Each State Government publishes its own list of holidays every year, often split as:

  • Gazetted holidays (mandatory)

  • Restricted holidays (optional; employees can choose a few)

Example: Diwali, Eid, Holi, Christmas, depending on state and local customs.

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3️⃣ Weekly Holidays

Shops and commercial establishments follow:

• Shops and Establishments Acts (state-specific) → generally mandate 1 weekly off (usually Sunday or as per local rule).

Factories follow:

• Factories Act, 1948 → governs working hours, weekly holidays, and compensatory leave.

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4️⃣ Bank Holidays

Banks get holidays under:

• Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 → states notify bank-specific holidays (some overlap with public holidays, others may not, like annual closing day on 1 April).

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5️⃣ Private Sector Rules

Private companies are not always bound by government holiday lists but typically follow:

• Minimum holidays as per employment contracts, company policies, or industrial standing orders.

• Most companies give ~10–12 paid holidays a year, blending national and festival holidays.

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⚖ Key Takeaways

✅ No uniform national holiday law; it’s a patchwork of central, state, and sector-specific rules.
✅ Employers decide additional holidays beyond mandatory ones, but workers’ rights are protected under labor laws.
✅ Employees working on public holidays (like in hospitals, airlines, essential services) are typically entitled to compensatory off or overtime pay.