74, National festivals and Holidays, how to reflect India's Diversity through the holiday list

#HRhelpdesk #IndiaHRGuide #MandeepSingh, with 25 years of HR expertise, Mandeep Singh explains how organizations should create their annual holiday calendars while ensuring legal compliance and employee acceptance. He highlights the three compulsory national holidays—Gandhi Jayanti, Independence Day and Republic Day—which must be observed across India. He discusses the challenge of accommodating diverse festivals, especially when some are city‑wide closures while others are celebrated only by specific communities. Including every festival could push the list to 16–17 holidays, whereas most organizations operate with 11–13. He recommends a balanced model: around 10 fixed holidays for all employees and 2–3 optional holidays that individuals can choose from a larger list. This ensures compliance, cost efficiency and cultural inclusion. He also mentions that older approaches—like location‑specific holiday lists—are becoming less practical, leading organizations to adopt a common fixed list with optional choices for local or community needs.