If second and fourth Saturdays and all the Sundays are taken as only holidays for an office, what would be the minimum number of possible working days of any month of any year?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 22
Working days are fewest in a short month with many holidays. Every month has exactly two holiday Saturdays, so only the Sundays vary: a 28-day February has exactly 4 Sundays, giving 6 holidays and 22 working days. Longer months add more days than holidays.
- Every month has a 2nd and a 4th Saturday, so there are always exactly 2 holiday Saturdays; only the number of Sundays varies.
- February (28 days): exactly 4 Sundays → 4 + 2 = 6 holidays → 28 − 6 = 22 working days.
- February in a leap year (29 days): at most 5 Sundays → 7 holidays → 29 − 7 = 22 working days.
- 30-day month: at most 5 Sundays → 7 holidays → 23 working days. 31-day month: at most 5 Sundays → 7 holidays → 24.
- Minimum = 22.
- Check: no month can have 6 Sundays, since that needs at least 36 days.
Remember · For 'minimum working days', test the shortest month with the most holidays — February, including the leap-year case.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·