Removing Gandhi Jayanti from Holiday List: Is It Possible for Mumbai-Based Companies?

Dear Sir/Madam,

We are based in Mumbai and we want to remove 2nd Oct from our holiday list. Can we do that?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Ankit Doshi

Dear Ankit,

We cannot remove Gandhi Jayanthi from the Holiday List. It is a HFH. The following 4 are mandatory NFH (National Festival Holidays):

1. Republic Day
2. May Day
3. Independence Day
4. Gandhi Jayanthi

Thank you.

Gandhi Jayanti is a national holiday and hence can't be canceled. The holidays declared by the central government are of two types: compulsory for all (state/central government departments, government/private companies) and compulsory for central government departments/undertakings/companies only, and optional for the rest. Gandhi Jayanti falls under the compulsory category. You may check the holiday list declared by the central government to get an idea.

Preparing a Holiday List for Your Organization

To prepare a holiday list for your organization, you need to check the state and central government holiday lists and the obligations outlined there. I hope this information will be helpful for you.

Regards

Hello,

Gandhi Jayanthi is a government-declared holiday, and it cannot be bypassed. Doing so is illegal, and severe action will be taken against the organization. However, if specific employees are working due to an emergency, Form V has to be filled, and the same has to be submitted to the Inspector of Factories.

Gandhi Jayanti as a Holiday

How nice to see this question. One of the most cherished leaders of this nation in the fight for freedom. Now, we are compelled to address the question: can Gandhi Jayanti be canceled as a holiday? The unfortunate aspect here on CiteHR is that the question should have been promptly removed upon posting. This question speaks to the truly distressing state of employer-employee relations. The best answer remains that you are still reading this, and CiteHR has allowed me to write. May this New Year bring goodness to all.

Regards

Dear Ankit,

I have also seen companies (especially factories) which run 24X7 asking employees of essential services to come on Gandhi Jayanti as they cannot afford to stop the plant.

Let us stop this patriotism nonsense. We are not a political forum.

Relevance of Gandhi Jayanti

Gandhi Jayanti has lost its relevance, and no one cares. It's not a religious holiday that someone actually needs to be home for. The question is very much relevant and is being repeatedly asked by many companies and employers.

Holiday on October 2nd

In any case, this year, October 2nd is a Sunday, so if you are an office, the question is moot. As the others have stated, it's a required holiday. But you can work on that day. You will need to give a compensatory off and pay overtime wages for all the employees.

Dear Ankit,

You cannot remove Gandhi Jayanti from the holiday list. However, you can operate the factory by providing advance intimation (at least one week before) to the Inspector of Factories using Form V. You must offer double wages or compensation to those who work on that day.

If the government of India cancels a national holiday on 2nd October, then it is possible; otherwise, it is not possible.

Clarification on National Holiday Policy

Regarding your query, I don't think you have specified the object you are referring to in your question, as you have not provided the necessary background information or explained the problem faced by your organization. Your question appears to lack relevance because there is a significant distinction between removing a holiday from the list of holidays and opening the factory/office on a national holiday. A national holiday cannot be excluded from the holiday list; however, in cases of exigency of services, an organization can request an exemption from the government to operate the factory/office on a national holiday, subject to specific conditions that must be met by the organization.

Regards

If you are really concerned and have valid reasons, a PIL could be filed. However, the fact of the matter is that the day could be used profitably for 'shramdan' involving all the personnel, the CEO, and the top executives, taking the lead - not in supervising or directing, but in working with their own hands. At the close of the day, a community dining could be arranged.

In my entire career, I have always worked on 2nd October (in a central PSU) and got a compensatory off day.

There are 3 national holidays: Jan 26, Aug 15, and Oct 2. Each of these days has tremendous significance for the nation that can never be undermined. What is the need to try and remove Oct 2 from the list of holidays? As such, you can work on that day after observing some rules on the subject.

Dear, can we bypass the Gandhi Jayanti holiday?

Dear Sir, We cannot refuse or modify the national holidays.