Bank Holiday on Every Saturday? Centre Clarifies Viral Notification Is Fake

A notification claiming that all Saturdays have been declared holidays for public sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), has gone viral on social media. The Centre has clarified that the notification is fake and that the Union Finance Ministry has not issued any such order. According to the government, public sector banks continue to observe the existing holiday arrangement, under which the second and fourth Saturdays of every month are holidays.

The clarification comes amid recent demands from bank employee unions for a five-day working week. The United Forum of Bank Unions had called for strikes in September over the demand, with the government noting that the issue remained under discussion. The Finance Ministry had earlier reiterated that the second and fourth Saturdays were declared public holidays for public sector banks in 2015, while the remaining Saturdays continue to be working days.