RS declares January 1 a holiday

The Rajya Sabha will have a long weekend and resume work on January two, as it decided to have a holiday on the first day of 2018.
Making the announcement in the House, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said political parties and several members, especially those from the remote parts like the Northeast, had urged that January 1 be declared a holiday.
Goel said the House, therefore, would not sit on January 1 and the loss of business would be compensated by putting in extra hours on the remaining days of the ongoing winter session.
The announcement was made as the Question Hour came to a close in the Rajya Sabha. Saturdays and Sundays are holidays for Parliament.