Mumbai, January 12: Banking services in West Bengal's Kolkata will be partially suspended today, January 12, as the state marks the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. According to the official holiday calendar released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the holiday is categorised under the "Negotiable Instruments Act" for the Kolkata region. While branches in West Bengal will remain closed to the public, banking institutions in the rest of the country will continue their regular operations.

Regional Scope of the January 12 Bank Holiday

The January 12 holiday, which coincides with National Youth Day, is a regional observance and does not apply to all states. Bank Holiday 2026 List: RBI Releases Month-Wise Bank Holidays Calendar for New Year; Check Dates.

As per the RBI’s city-wise holiday matrix, bank closures for this specific occasion are concentrated in:

Kolkata (West Bengal): Full closure of public and private sector bank branches.

Other Cities: In major hubs like Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, banks are functioning according to their standard Monday schedules.

Complete List of Bank Holidays and Dates in January 2026

Date:  Holiday:  City/Cities: 
January 1  New Year’s Day/Gaan-Ngai  Aizawl, Chennai, Gangtok, Imphal, Itanagar, Kohima, Kolkata and Shillong 
January 2  New Year Celebration/Mannam Jayanthi  Aizawl, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram 
January 3  Birthday of Hazrat Ali  Kanpur and Lucknow 
January 12  Birth Day of Swami Vivekananda  Kolkata 
January 14  Makar Sankranti/Magh Bihu  Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Itanagar 
January 15  Uttarayana Punyakala/Pongal/Maghe Sankranti/Makara Sankranti  Bengaluru, Chennai, Gangtok, Hyderabad and Vijayawada 
January 16  Thiruvalluvar Day  Chennai 
January 17  Uzhavar Thirunal  Chennai 
January 23  Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose/Saraswati Puja (Shree Panchami)/Vir Surendrasai Jayanti/Basanta Panchami  Agartala, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata 
January 26  Republic Day  Across all cities in India

Continuity of Digital Services

While physical branch access is restricted in West Bengal, the RBI has ensured that digital banking infrastructure remains unaffected. Customers in the affected region can still utilise:

Mobile and Net Banking: For fund transfers via IMPS, NEFT, and RTGS.

UPI Payments: Instant transactions through platforms like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm.

ATM Networks: Cash withdrawals and deposits at automated teller machines will remain operational throughout the day. Dry Day List 2026: Month-Wise Dates When Alcohol Sales Are Restricted in India.

How RBI Determines Bank Holidays

The Reserve Bank of India categorises bank holidays into three distinct buckets: Holidays under the Negotiable Instruments Act, Holidays under the Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Holiday list, and Banks’ Closing of Accounts. National Youth Day is observed under the Negotiable Instruments Act, allowing individual state governments to decide on bank closures based on local cultural and historical significance. In West Bengal, the day is a significant public holiday to honour Swami Vivekananda’s legacy and his contributions to Indian philosophy and youth empowerment.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 12, 2026 08:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).