The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit has flagged and dismissed a viral, fraudulent gazette notification circulating on social media, which falsely claimed that the Central Government has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all public sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI).
Taking to the social media platform X, the agency clarified that the Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance has issued no such order.
A Gazette circulating on social media , purportedly issued by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services), claims that the Central Government has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all Public Sector Banks , including SBI.#PIBFactCheck:
❌ The document… pic.twitter.com/ClCqEt2UAX
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) October 1, 2026
Urging citizens to exercise caution, the PIB emphasised that the document is completely fabricated and does not represent an official government directive.
Under existing guidelines, public sector banks remain operational on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of the month, observing holidays exclusively on the second and fourth Saturdays.
Earlier, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) deferred a planned three-day nationwide strike following high-level deliberations with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), where the long-standing demand for a complete five-day banking structure was referred to a joint committee.
Authorities have urged the public to refrain from sharing unverified documents and to report suspicious claims directly to the PIB Fact Check unit.
