¨     This year, Central Excise Day will be celebrated on February 24, 2026. Every year, February 24 is celebrated as Central Excise Day across the world.

¨     This day is celebrated to honor the services rendered by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to the nation. This day is celebrated to honor the officers associated with CBEC and their services.
¨     Its purpose is to encourage officers to perform their duties with utmost honesty. Every year, officers investigate corruption in goods coming from the manufacturing sector. This day commemorates the enactment of the Central Excise and Salt Act on February 24, 1944.
¨     This day focuses on spreading awareness about the importance of Central Excise, which plays a vital role in boosting the Indian economy and making the country a healthy and developed nation.
¨     It also encourages excise department employees to perform their duties efficiently and even prevent corruption in the manufacturing business, as well as enforce other regulations to provide the best possible excise services.
History of Central Excise Day
¨     The Central Excise Department is one of India's oldest departments, established in 1855 under the British Raj. The Central Excise Act, or the Central Excise and Salt Act, came into effect in 1944, the same year Central Excise Day was first celebrated. However, some changes were later made to these acts in 1996.
¨     Central Excise officers under the Central Government were granted the "power of arrest" in 1973, which was extended to service tax matters in 2013. This Act initially specified 67 excise-related items, which have now reached nearly 1,000. Since the implementation of GST in July 2017, the Central Excise Department has been focusing only on petroleum and liquor products to ensure tax collection with complete assurance.
¨     Recognizing the establishment of laws, the CBEC has been celebrating Central Excise Day since the passage of the Salt Act, which was signed into law on February 24, 1944.