Bharat Bandh on August 21, 2024: The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti has announced a nationwide strike on August 21, 2024, in response to the Supreme Court‘s recent decision on SC/ST reservations. To maintain peace during the demonstration, law enforcement agencies have been instructed to take necessary measures.
The protest organizers have demanded the closure of all commercial establishments.Although market committees have not officially announced the shutdown, there is uncertainty surrounding the potential impact of the protest on the entire country and whether markets will indeed close.

Bharat Bandh: Are banks closed on August 21, 2024?

Despite the call for a Bharat Bandh, government offices, post offices, banks will remain open. Educational institutions, and gas stations are expected to operate normally as well. Furthermore, essential services such as healthcare, water supply, train services, public transportation, and electricity will continue uninterrupted, according to an ET report.

August 2024 Bank Holidays

In August, banks will be closed on various occasions, such as Ker Puja, Tendong Lho Rum Faat, Patriot’s Day, Independence Day/Parsi New Year (Shahenshahi), Raksha Bandhan/Jhulana Purnima/Birthday of Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur, Sree Narayana Guru Jayanthi, and Janmashtami (Shravan Vad-8)/Krishna Jayanthi, depending on the state.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) categorizes holidays into three types: the Negotiable Instruments Act, the Negotiable Instruments Act and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Holiday, and the Banks’ Closing of Accounts.
Apart from weekends, banks will be closed on Monday, August 26, in several states, including Gujarat, Orissa, Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, and Srinagar, due to Janmashtami (Shravan Vad-8)/Krishna Jayanthi. This holiday falls after the fourth Saturday and Sunday, resulting in a long weekend in these states.