On Thursday, the Press Information Bureau’s Fact‑Check unit posted on X that a circulating PDF claiming the central government had declared Saturday a holiday for all public sector banks was a hoax.
The false notice, purportedly issued by the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Financial Services, listed the State Bank of India among the banks to be closed every Saturday.
The rumor surfaced amid a long‑running campaign by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to push for a five‑day banking week.
In a recent agreement, the UFBU and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) agreed to set up a high‑level committee to study alternatives and consult stakeholders, after deferring a planned September strike.
Although the committee will review the proposal, a customer in Delhi who works at SBI said he will keep his Saturday open for the time being, illustrating how the debate touches everyday banking.
The PIB Fact‑Check unit urged the public to report any further false claims about central‑government notifications.