New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said the government has directed banks handling government receipts and payments to remain open on 31 March 2026, to ensure that all government transactions are accounted for within the current financial year.

This year, 31 March will be observed as a public holiday in several regions, including as a regional holiday for Mahavir Jayanti in India. As per the RBI's calendar of bank holidays, the day has been marked as a bank holiday in parts of the country.

However, in an official notice, the central bank has requested agency banks to keep all branches dealing with government business open for customer transactions on Tuesday, 31 March. The move is aimed at facilitating the t...