Fact Check / PIB Fact Check Rejects Claim That Every Saturday Declared Public Holiday for Public Sector Banks

New Delhi, Oct 1: The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check unit on Thursday rejected as fake a purported government gazette notification circulating on social media claiming that the Centre has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all public sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI).

In a post on social media platform X, PIB Fact Check clarified that no such notification has been issued by the Ministry of Finance's Department of Financial Services.

The agency said the document being shared online is fake and does not represent any 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. The document being circulated is fake," it said.

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 the public not to rely on unverified documents circulating on social media and advised citizens to verify government-related information through official channels before sharing it further.

"No such notification has been issued by the Finance Ministry declaring every Saturday as a public holiday for public sector banks," it said.

"Flag suspicious content related to the Central Government to PIB Fact Check," it added.

The clarification came after the widely circulated document claimed that all public sector banks would remain closed every Saturday following a purported decision by the Central Government.

However, PIB Fact Check firmly denied the claim, stating that no notification declaring every Saturday as a public holiday for public sector banks has been issued by the Finance Ministry.

PIB also encouraged people to report suspicious content related to the Central Government to its Fact Check team to help curb the spread of misinformation online.

Also Read: Three-Day Bank Strike Averted; Branches to Operate Normally From Monday

The development follows the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) deferring its proposed three-day nationwide bank strike last week after an eleventh-hour meeting with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).

According to a statement issued by the bank union, representatives of the IBA and UFBU held talks on Sunday, following which both sides agreed to defer the proposed nationwide strike.

(IANS)