Saturday Bank Holiday: Has Government Declared All Saturdays as Holidays for SBI and Other Public Sector Banks? PIB Says This
PIB Fact Check said no Finance Ministry notification has been issued, even as bank unions seek a five-day banking week.
- On Thursday, PIB Fact Check confirmed that a viral gazette notification claiming the Central Government declared "every Saturday" a public holiday for Public Sector Banks is fake and no such notification has been issued.
- The United Forum of Bank Unions recently intensified its demand for a five-day workweek, which would make all Saturdays holidays for bank employees and led to nationwide protests in September 2026.
- An investigation revealed the document is AI-generated using OpenAI tools; official government e-Gazette portal searches found no record of such an order, confirming the claim is false.
- Earlier, the United Forum of Bank Unions deferred its three-day nationwide strike following an eleventh-hour meeting with the Indian Banks Association, where both sides agreed to establish a high-level committee.
- PIB Fact Check urged the public to avoid unverified documents and flag suspicious content related to the Central Government; people can contact the team via WhatsApp at +91 8799711259 or email factcheck@pib.gov.in.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Finance Ministry did not declare a 5-day workweek for banks; viral gazette notification is fake
Indian bank employee unions have recently intensified their long-standing demand for a five-day workweek. In September 2026, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) launched nationwide protests pushing for this change alongside other key demands. These included updated pension benefits, a return to the Old Pension Scheme, and the resolution of pending wage issues. A [...]
Public sector banks to stay closed on Saturdays? PIB debunks fake government notification
PIB Fact Check has debunked claims about a government notification for public sector banks declaring Saturdays as holidays. A fake document circulated on social media created confusion around the banking holiday issue. Public sector banks, including the State Bank of India, have not received any such notifications. Discussions regarding the five-day banking week are ongoing between the Indian Banks' Association and the United Forum of Bank Union…
PIB says claim of all Saturdays being bank holidays is fake
"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," PIB Fact Check said in a post.
Will Banks Remain Closed Every Saturday? PIB Fact Check Clarifies Viral Gazette Notification | 📰 LatestLY
A Gazette notification circulating on social media claiming that the Centre has declared every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks is fake, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit said on Thursday, October 1, 2026. 📰 Will Banks Remain Closed Every Saturday? PIB Fact Check Clarifies Viral Gazette Notification.
Saturday bank holiday: Has government declared all Saturdays as holidays for SBI and other public sector banks? PIB says this
A fraudulent gazette notification has been making the rounds, erroneously stating that every Saturday has been declared a public holiday for public sector banks. The Press Information Bureau has clarified that these claims are baseless and not sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance. According to the Reserve Bank of India, banks observe holidays solely on the second and fourth Saturdays.
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