MP Holiday Calendar 2026: 238 Working Days, 127 Holidays for Govt Employees

The Madhya Pradesh government has officially issued the holiday and working-day calendar for 2026, giving clarity to state employees about office schedules, public holidays, and revised leave policies. The notification outlines the total number of working days, weekly breaks, festival holidays, and important amendments to service rules that will come into effect from the new year.

Working days and total holidays in 2026

According to the calendar, government offices across Madhya Pradesh will function for 238 days in 2026. Employees will enjoy a total of 127 holidays during the year.

Holiday breakup includes:

• 52 Saturdays
• 52 Sundays
• 23 public holidays

The five-day work week system will continue, with offices operating from Monday to Friday.

Additional public holiday has been added

State employees will receive one extra public holiday in 2026 compared to the previous year. Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14 has been included in the official holiday list, increasing the number of public holidays to 23.

However, six important festivals and birth anniversaries fall on weekends in 2026. As a result, there will be no compensatory weekday holidays, limiting opportunities for extended holiday stretches.

Optional holidays for employees

In addition to public holidays, government staff can choose three days from a list of 62 optional holidays. These can be selected based on personal, cultural, or religious preferences.

The state government has revised the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1977, and the updated provisions will be applicable from January 1, 2026.

Revised child care leave rules

Changes have also been introduced to Child Care Leave for women employees:

• Total entitlement: 730 days
• First 365 days: Full salary
• Next 365 days: 80% salary

Applicable for children up to 18 years

Limit on leave usage:

Leave can be taken up to three times in a year

Single mothers are allowed to avail this leave up to six times annually

Earned leave benefit for teachers

The new policy brings relief to more than 4.5 lakh teachers in the state. Teaching staff will now be entitled to 10 days of earned leave every year, addressing a long-standing demand.

Five-day work week to remain unchanged

The Monday-to-Friday work schedule will continue in 2026. Although discussions were held on resuming work on the first and third Saturdays, the proposal has been dropped.

The government also explored the idea of extending daily office hours, but since no consensus was reached, existing working hours will remain in place.

Dussehra local holiday proposal rejected

The Bhopal district administration had suggested an additional local holiday ahead of Dussehra. However, the proposal was turned down by the General Administration Department. Officials cited an already high number of holidays in October and expressed concerns about potential disruptions to government functioning.

The 2026 calendar aims to maintain a balance between work efficiency and employee welfare, while ensuring continuity in government services across Madhya Pradesh.

Also read: UP, Bihar, Jharkhand School Holidays Announced Amid Severe Cold Wave in North India