Fact Check: Viral Gazette Declaring Every Saturday Bank Holiday Is Fake

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit on Thursday dismissed as fake a government gazette circulating on social media that claimed the Centre had declared every Saturday a public holiday for all public sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI).

In a post on X, PIB Fact Check said the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Financial Services had not issued any such notification. It clarified that the document being circulated online does not represent an official government 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

The fact-checking unit urged people not to rely on unverified documents shared on social media and advised them to verify government-related information through official channels before sharing it further.

PIB Fact Check said no Finance Ministry notification had declared every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks. It asked citizens to report suspicious content related to the Central Government to its fact-checking team.

The clarification came after the purported gazette gained attention online, claiming that all public sector banks would remain closed every Saturday following a Central Government decision.

PIB rejected the claim and reiterated that the Finance Ministry had issued no such notification.

The development comes amid discussions over bank operations and a recently deferred nationwide strike by bank employees.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) last week deferred its proposed three-day nationwide strike after holding talks with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

According to the bank union, representatives of the IBA and UFBU met on Sunday and agreed to defer the proposed strike following discussions.

PIB’s latest clarification highlights the need to verify official government notifications before accepting or sharing information circulating on social media.

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