Tamil Nadu News: The Tamil Nadu government has announced a public holiday on November 1 (Friday), the day following Diwali, for all government offices, public sector undertakings, schools, colleges and educational institutions.
This decision aims to assist students, parents, teachers and government staff who are travelling to their hometowns for the festival. The government hopes this will provide them with more time to return home without the pressure of returning to work or classes immediately after the celebrations. To balance the holiday, November 9 (Saturday) will now be a working day.
An official statement confirmed, “The government has declared November 9 as a working day to compensate for the holiday.” The announcement comes after JACTTO-GEO, the leading association of government and teachers, submitted a request to the Chief Minister for a holiday on November 1.
Previously, some government employees had asked the government to recognise the day after Diwali as a holiday. This would allow them to take advantage of the weekend, making it easier for those travelling home to enjoy a longer break.
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The government responded to these concerns by officially declaring November 1 a holiday for all relevant sectors. This year, Diwali falls on October 31, which is a Thursday. Consequently, many would have to travel back late that night or early Friday to resume their duties or studies.
Acknowledging the inconvenience faced by parents, teachers and employees, the Tamil Nadu government has acted in their interest by granting a holiday the day after Diwali.
