No, RBI Did Not Announce Every Saturday As A Bank Holiday

Viral social media posts and online articles claim that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a new rule declaring all Saturdays and Sundays as bank holidays, instead of the current practice of banks being closed on the second and fourth Saturdays and all Sundays.

The posts further suggest that the move was taken to improve work-life balance for bank employees while ensuring operational efficiency. 

However, Newschecker found the claim to be false. The RBI has not made any such announcement. Banks in India continue to operate as usual, closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, along with Sundays.

Evidence

No Official RBI Notification

A keyword search for “RBI Saturday Sunday bank holidays” returned no credible news reports or RBI press releases supporting the claim. The official RBI press release archive carries no such update.

RBI’s Actual Rule on Saturday Holidays

The RBI’s last official communication on the matter was issued on August 28, 2015. It clarified that from September 1, 2015, all banks—public, private, foreign, cooperative, regional rural, and local area banks—would:

• Remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.
  
• Function as full working days on the remaining Saturdays.
  

Questionable Websites Behind Viral Claims

The websites spreading this claim did not cite any RBI or government sources. Scam Detector, an online fraud prevention tool, rated these sites poorly, indicating high risk of misleading or fraudulent activity.

• aimamedia.org received a trust score of 53.7, flagged as “Questionable. Minimal Doubts. Controversial.”
  
• radhikaudyog.co.in received a trust score of 11.7, flagged as “Untrustworthy. Risky. Danger.”
  

Similar Fake News in the Past

Newschecker has earlier debunked similar fabricated holiday announcements. For instance, a viral claim that the Central government declared nationwide holidays from September 3–6, 2025 was also proven false. Such stories are often pushed by websites seeking ad revenue.

Also Read: 2025 Asia Cup: Ricky Ponting Did Not Call India ‘Big Loser’ Over Handshake Snub After Pakistan Match

Verdict

The claim that the RBI has declared all Saturdays as bank holidays is false. The rule remains unchanged: banks are closed only on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, and all Sundays. No new RBI directive has been issued.

FAQs

Q1. Has the RBI declared all Saturdays as bank holidays?
No. RBI has not declared all Saturdays as bank holidays. Only the 2nd and 4th Saturdays are holidays, along with all Sundays.

Q2. What is the current RBI rule on Saturday bank holidays?
As per RBI’s 2015 notification, banks remain closed on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays but function as usual on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Saturdays.

Q3. Where can I check official RBI holiday announcements?
You can verify all official RBI press releases on rbi.org.in.

Q4. Why do fake bank holiday news stories go viral?
Such fake stories are often spread by unreliable websites to generate ad revenue through clicks.

Q5. When was RBI’s last official update on bank holidays?
RBI’s last update came on August 28, 2015, implementing the 2nd and 4th Saturday rule from September 1, 2015.

Sources
RBI Press Release, August 28, 2015
Scam Detector tool