National holidays
Republic Day (26 January), Independence Day (15 August) and Gandhi Jayanti (2 October) are compulsory paid holidays for establishments in practically every state; several states add May Day (1 May).
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National & festival holidays
Paid holidays are a state obligation, set by the Shops & Establishments or dedicated NFH Act of each state and now also addressed under the OSH Code. The number of holidays, whether employees may elect some of them, and the wage payable for work done on a holiday all vary.
The obligation in outline
Festival holidays
A further number of paid festival holidays — typically 4 to 9 depending on the state — is granted from the state's notified list. Some states require the list to be settled in consultation with employees and filed with the Labour Officer before the year begins.
Working on a holiday
Where work on an NFH is permitted, most states require twice the ordinary wages, or ordinary wages plus a substituted paid holiday within a defined window, at the employee's election. The substitution must be recorded.
Gazetted vs restricted holidays
A distinction that belongs to government offices, not to private employers — but it drives most of the confusion.
| Type | What it is | Employer position |
|---|---|---|
| Gazetted holiday | A holiday declared in the official gazette by the central or state government, observed as a closed day by government offices and banks. | Not automatically a paid holiday for private establishments — the establishment's obligation flows from the state NFH / S&E Act, not from the gazette. |
| Restricted / optional holiday | A list from which government employees may choose a limited number of days. | Has no statutory force for private employers; may be adopted voluntarily as a flexible-holiday policy. |
| NFH under the state Act | National holidays plus the notified number of festival holidays for establishments. | This is the enforceable obligation — paid, displayed, and in several states filed in advance. |
| Weekly off | One day a week under the S&E / Factories Act. | Separate from NFH; a national holiday falling on a weekly off does not always create a substituted holiday — check the state's rule. |
State-wise governing law
Which statute sets the holiday obligation in each state, and the practical filing point.
| State | Governing law | Practical note | This year's dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnataka | Karnataka Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1963 | Holiday list to be submitted to the jurisdictional Labour Officer before the start of the calendar year. | Verify via the state's annual notification |
| Tamil Nadu | Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958 | Prescribed list plus employee-elected festival holidays; display and filing requirements apply. | Verify via the state's annual notification |
| Maharashtra | Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017 | Compulsory holidays on 26 January, 1 May, 15 August and 2 October, plus a set number of festival holidays. | Verify via the state's annual notification |
| Telangana / Andhra Pradesh | AP/Telangana Factories and Establishments (National, Festival and Other Holidays) Act, 1974 | Annual holiday list approved and displayed; state government publishes the general holiday notification. | Verify via the state's annual notification |
| Delhi | Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954 read with the annual holiday notification | Three national holidays are compulsory paid holidays; festival holidays follow the notified list. | Verify via the state's annual notification |
The OSH Code, 2020 continues the requirement of a paid weekly holiday and preserves state NFH entitlements where the state rules are notified — it does not remove the state-by-state variation.
Multi-state employers should publish one national holiday policy with a state annexure, rather than a single list — a uniform list usually under-grants in at least one state.
Verify before you rely on this
Holiday dates change every year and are fixed by each state's annual notification — including the treatment of dates that fall on a weekly off. Build your annual list from the state labour department's notification for that year; we do not publish a dated calendar.
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