All Saturdays bank holidays? PIB flags fake Gazette notification online

The viral document, dated September 30, claims the Finance Ministry declared every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks. PIB says no such notification was issued

A Gazette notification circulating on social media claiming that the Centre has declared every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), is fake, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit said on Thursday.

 

The purported notification, dated September 30, 2026, carries notification number S.O. 4275(E) and is presented as an order issued by the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Financial Services.

 

It claims that, under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, all Saturdays have been declared public holidays for public sector banks with immediate effect.

 

The document also carries an official-looking file number and the name of a purported joint secretary.

PIB says no such notification was issued

The PIB Fact Check Unit said the Finance Ministry had not issued any notification declaring every Saturday a public holiday for public sector banks.

 

It termed the Gazette document being circulated online fake and advised people to verify suspicious claims relating to the central government through authoritative sources.

 

The fact-check comes as bank employee unions continue to press for a five-day banking week, including holidays on all Saturdays.

 

What is the current rule?

Under the existing arrangement, public sector banks are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.

 

The government introduced this system in 2015 under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. The Finance Ministry reiterated in September 2026 that only the second and fourth Saturdays are currently public holidays for public sector banks. 

Status of the five-day banking week

 

The demand for a five-day banking week remains unresolved.

 

The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had previously submitted a proposal to declare all Saturdays as bank holidays.

 

The issue remains active in 2026. In a September 21 statement, the government said a five-day banking week was one of the principal demands of bank unions and that discussions were continuing. The statement also referred to an indefinite strike proposed from October 26 over the demand.

 

The government had also appealed to unions to resolve the outstanding issue through dialogue while maintaining uninterrupted banking services.