The government has announced 17 holidays for the central staff during 2011, though three of them – Mahavir Jayanti (April 16), Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary (Oct 2) and Christmas (Dec 25) – fall on Saturday or Sunday, thus effectively leaving 14 holidays.

In case of the states, 14 compulsory holidays are declared while the remaining three holidays are to be added from a list of 12 occasions listed in the notification by the central government employees welfare coordination committee in the state capitals.

The compulsory holidays are Republic Day, Independence Day, Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, Buddha Purnima, Christmas, Dussehra, Diwali, Good Friday, Guru Nanak's birth anniversary, Idu'l fitr, Id'ul zuha, Mahavir Jayanti, Muharram and Prophet Mohammed's birth anniversary (Id-E-Milad).

For the employees working in Delhi, three additional holidays added to the list are Maha Shiv Ratri, Ram Navmi and Janmashtmi. The coordination committees can pick up any other three days in their states while including the remaining nine in the list as the restricted holidays.

The total restricted holidays for the government employees are 35, though 10 of them fall on Saturdays or Sundays when the offices are already closed and hence no need of any employee seeking the particular holiday.

As regards banks, the notification says the number of holidays for them are restricted to 15 days. In respect of other central government organisations like industrial, commercial and trading establishments, they are permitted to declare maximum 16 days, but with the condition that they must include the national holidays of Republic Day, Independence Day and Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.

Here is the list of holidays for 2011:

Republic day Jan 26
Prophet Mohammad birth anniversary Feb 16
Maha Shivratri March 2
Ram Navami April 12
Mahavir Jayanti April 16
Good Friday April 22
Buddha Purnima May 17
Independence Day Aug 15
Janmashtmi Aug 22
Idul Fitr Aug 31
Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary Oct 2
Dussehra Oct 6
Diwali Oct 26
Idul Zuha (Bakrid) Nov 7
Guru Nanak's birth anniversary Nov 10
Muharram Dec 6
Christmas Day Dec 25