Fact Check: Gazette Circulating Online Declares Every Saturday A Bank Holiday; PIB Debunks Claim
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A Gazette notification circulating on social media and across the internet claims that the Central Government has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all Public Sector Banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI). The claim has now been debunked by the PIB Fact Check Unit, which has termed the document fake.
Viral Gazette Claims Immediate Change In Bank Holiday
The purported document is dated September 30, 2026, and carries the notification number S.O. 4275(E). It is presented as a notification issued by the Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services.
The document claims that, under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, the Central Government has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all Public Sector Banks, including SBI, with immediate effect.
The document also carries an official-looking file number and the name of a purported Joint Secretary, making it appear like a genuine government notification.
PIB Fact Check Says Document Is Fake
The PIB Fact Check Unit has rejected the claim, stating that no such notification has been issued by the Ministry of Finance declaring every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks.
The fact-check unit said the Gazette document being circulated on social media is fake and advised people to flag suspicious content related to the Central Government. PIB says its Fact Check Unit verifies such claims against authoritative government sources, including official websites, notifications, documents and e-Gazettes.
What Is The Current Saturday Bank Holiday Rule?
The government's latest official communication states that the second and fourth Saturdays of every month are public holidays for Public Sector Banks, a system introduced in 2015. The remaining Saturdays continue to be working days.
The Centre has not yet approved the demand to make all Saturdays bank holidays. A five-day banking week has been a long-standing demand of bank employees, and the Indian Banks' Association had submitted a proposal to the government, but that does not amount to an official change in the holiday schedule.
