The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check unit has debunked a viral official Gazette notification claiming that the central government declared every Saturday a public holiday for all Public Sector Banks (PSUs). Clarifying the matter, the Union Ministry of Finance confirmed that no such notification was issued, affirming that standard operational schedules—where banks remain closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays—continue as normal. Anatomy of the Fraudulent Gazette NotificationThe fraudulent document, designed to mimic an official government release, gained rapid traction across social media platforms and messaging apps. It purported that the Ministry of Finance had amended existing banking sector regulations to implement a universal five-day workweek across all public sector banking institutions, including the State Bank of India (SBI). Because the document utilized official seals, legal formatting, and formal administrative language, thousands of banking customers and employees shared the image online. The resulting confusion prompted the government's nodal media agency to intervene and issue a formal clarification."A Gazette notification circulating on social media claims that the Central Government has declared every Saturday as a public holiday for Public Sector Banks. This document is FAKE. No such notification has been issued by the Ministry of Finance."— PIB Fact Check UnitCurrent Working Regulations for Indian BanksAs per the operational guidelines established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA), public and private sector banks in India operate under a structured bi-weekly weekend cycle:Operational Saturdays: All public and private sector bank branches function normally on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of every month.Official Holidays: Banks remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, alongside Sundays and official national or regional holidays. The Ministry of Finance reminded citizens and corporate entities to cross-reference administrative updates through official government portals rather than trusting unverified image files shared across digital chat groups.Context: Ongoing Negotiations Over the 5-Day Banking WeekThe viral fake notification capitalized on real-world news surrounding ongoing negotiations between bank unions and financial authorities. For several years, representative bodies such as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) have campaigned for the implementation of a five-day workweek, requesting that all Saturdays be recognized as official holidays.While the IBA and bank unions previously reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreeing in principle to a five-day banking schedule—under which daily working hours would be extended by 40 minutes to compensate for closed Saturdays—the proposal requires final statutory approval and formal notification from the central government and the RBI.Because formal negotiations remain active, bad actors exploited the policy anticipation by circulating a fabricated Gazette document to trigger public misunderstanding. Protecting Against Government MisinformationThe PIB urged citizens to report suspicious government-related documents, orders, or circulars to its dedicated fact-checking channels before re-sharing content. The agency emphasized that genuine Gazette notifications are published directly on official government repositories like egazette.gov.in and announced through official press releases. Bank customers are advised that branch operations will continue under the standard schedule, with branches remaining open on the upcoming first and third Saturdays of the month.
