In a masterclass of last-minute governance, the Madhya Pradesh General Administration Department issued an order on March 27 giving distric...

In a masterclass of last-minute governance, the Madhya Pradesh General Administration Department issued an order on March 27 giving district collectors the option to shift the Mahavir Jayanti holiday from March 31 to March 30. The Bhopal Additional District Magistrate then issued a late-night order on Sunday, March 29, making it official for Bhopal. The timing was exquisite: March 31 is the single most important day in Indian fiscal life — the last day of the financial year when every government account, bank transaction, and budget line must be reconciled. The RBI, watching this unfold with growing horror, had to issue a separate directive requiring all agency banks to remain open on March 31 regardless. Multiple districts across MP were left guessing which day was actually the holiday, with government employees, school staff, and bank workers all receiving contradictory instructions. The stated reason? 'Public feelings and local conditions.'