Chhattisgarh holidays: Will students get an extended Dussehra–Diwali break in 2025?

Two of the biggest school breaks in India arrive just 18–19 days apart in 2025: Dussehra on October 2 (Thursday) and Diwali on October 20–21 (Monday–Tuesday). That gap is big enough to spark talk of a longer mid-October vacation for students. As of now, there is no official circular in Chhattisgarh announcing an extended school break. But the calendar has created room for debate—should schools cluster holidays into one long stretch, or split them across both festivals?

Here’s what’s clear today: state holiday lists for offices show the festival dates; school schedules come later through academic calendars and department orders. Until a formal notice lands, any “proposal” floating on social media is just that—talk.

What we know so far

Public holiday lists and school vacations are not the same thing. Government notifications set festival holidays for state offices. School closures are set by the School Education Department (for government and aided schools) and by individual managements for private schools, usually within the state’s academic calendar.

For 2025, the holiday calendar places Dussehra on October 2 and Diwali on October 20–21. That gives schools roughly three school weeks in between. In most years, schools in many states give a short break around Dussehra and a longer one around Diwali. Some states, like West Bengal during Durga Puja, cluster holidays into 10–12 days. Others keep them split to protect instructional time.

How do decisions get made? Typically:

• The School Education Department issues the academic calendar before or early in the school year, with a broad list of vacations.
• Closer to festivals, departments or district education offices may adjust dates, especially when major festivals fall midweek.
• Boards (CGBSE or CBSE) don’t fix holidays, but their exam timelines—midterms in September/October and practicals in January–February—shape how much time schools can spare.
• District administrations can declare local holidays for fairs and religious events. Private schools often align, but they aren’t bound to every local order.

A key constraint is time on task. Under the Right to Education norms, primary schools aim for about 200 instructional days, and upper-primary for roughly 220. Add exam days, sports, weather-related closures, and training sessions, and the calendar gets tight. A long mid-October shut down would need make-up plans—extra classes, working Saturdays, or trimmed co-curriculars.

So, is there an “extended holidays proposal”? There’s no official document in the public domain yet. Expect any real move to show up as a department circular or a school-level notice closer to late August or September, once mid-term tests are mapped and syllabus progress is reviewed.

What an extended break would mean

There are clear upsides. Families get a predictable block of time to travel or visit relatives. Teachers get breathing space to reset lesson plans between midterms and preboards. For students, the mental break in the middle of a packed term can help, especially if schools promote reading, art, or festive projects instead of piling on homework.

The flipside is real too. Long closures can create learning gaps, especially for early graders and students without support at home. Finishing the syllabus on time gets harder if the break stretches beyond a week. For board classes (10 and 12), practical files and lab work often pick up right after Diwali; any spillover squeezes the timetable.

Here are three realistic scheduling paths schools could consider, given the 2025 dates:

• Split model (traditional): 2–3 days around Dussehra (Oct 1–3) and 5–7 days around Diwali (roughly Oct 18–23). Pros: Limits learning loss and keeps momentum. Cons: Two separate disruptions in one month.
• Clustered break (extended): A single 9–12 day window that starts in the latter part of Navratri and runs through Diwali (for example, Oct 12–23). Pros: One clean block for families; easier transport and planning. Cons: Requires make-up classes and tight pacing later.
• Short and local: Minimal closures beyond the main festival days, with district-specific local holidays. Pros: Protects instructional time. Cons: Parents get less certainty for travel; students get a shorter rest.

Whatever the model, schools can cushion the impact with a few simple moves: schedule midterms in late September to avoid clashes; announce holiday homework that’s light but meaningful; plan bridge lessons right after reopening; and publish a make-up plan early so parents aren’t guessing.

Practical checkpoints for parents and teachers:

• Watch for circulars from the School Education Department and your district education office. Those, not WhatsApp forwards, are what schools follow.
• Track your school’s calendar—private institutions often post their own notices, though they usually align with state guidance.
• For board-year students, ask the school for tentative practical and preboard timelines before booking long trips.
• If Saturday working is likely as a make-up strategy, expect that to be flagged in the same notice that announces any extended break.

Travel planning will depend on how early the notice arrives. If a circular comes by early September, families get a six-week window to book trains and flights at tolerable prices. If decisions slip into October, flexible tickets or partial plans (visit one side of the family during Dussehra, the other during Diwali) may be smarter.

There’s also the classroom reality. Teachers say the first week after long vacations is often spent re-establishing routines. To keep the post-holiday slide short, schools can line up quick recap worksheets, short unit tests, and station-based activities in the first two days back. For Classes 9–12, slotting subject doubt-clearing sessions right after reopening helps lock concepts before preboards.

Equity matters. Government schools that run midday meals and remedial programs should clarify how those will be handled if breaks extend beyond a week. Some states switch to dry ration distribution during closures; others schedule catch-up classes in the evenings once schools reopen. Clear communication avoids confusion.

So where does this leave parents and students in Chhattisgarh? With a calendar that makes both options—split and extended—entirely plausible. The gap between October 2 and October 20–21 is long enough to justify a cluster break, but the pressure to preserve teaching days is just as strong. The likely call will balance these two needs, based on syllabus progress and exam plans.

Until an official word arrives, treat any “proposal” as a discussion point, not a decision. Keep an eye on state and district notices, and prepare for both scenarios: a short Dussehra break followed by a longer Diwali closure, or one continuous holiday in mid to late October. Either way, a little planning now—study timetables for older students, travel holds for families—will keep surprises to a minimum when the final Chhattisgarh holidays schedule drops.