India celebrates: As New Year 2026, what is still open and what is closed
India celebrates: Despite a number of limitations imposed by authorities in various regions of the country, India celebrated the New Year 2026 with great vigor on Thursday. On the occasion of the New Year, people have flocked to marketplaces and places of worship. On Thursday, however, a few of locations are anticipated to be closed in observance of the New Year.
What will stay closed and what will stay open?
Government offices: Since New Year’s is a limited holiday in the nation, government offices will operate as usual.
Emergency services and hospitals: Every hospital and emergency service will operate as usual.
Banks: On the occasion of the New Year, some banks will be closed, while others may be open. Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, West Bengal, and Meghalaya are the states where banks would continue to be closed.
Stock market: The National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India will continue to operate.
Public transportation: The regular operation of public transportation services will continue.
Schools and colleges: Similar to banks, schools and colleges may stay closed in certain states and union territories (UTs) while being open in others. Schools have been ordered to remain closed in places like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
Increased security across India
In anticipation of the New Year, security has been increased across India, especially in the cities. As part of their monitoring strategy, security services stationed almost 20,000 police officers in Delhi. Additionally, the police have threatened to take strong action against anybody who disobeys the rules.
In a similar vein, the Mumbai Police have around 17,000 officers spread across the city of commerce. Teams from the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF), Home Guards, Quick Response Teams (QRTs), and Riot Control Police have also been positioned at strategic locations.
Nearly 20,000 people are still on duty in Bengaluru to prevent any unfavorable circumstances. “We have prioritized the protection of women. “We are not taking any chances and have deployed more women staff based on experiences from previous years, even though incidents were not major,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said on Wednesday.