Archive · 17 Sep 2026
Government Denies Fake Viral Notification Claiming Public Sector Bank Mergers
A document about merging several government-owned banks spread online.
It looked like an official government notification.
The document said some banks would join State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda.
The government said it did not create or issue the document.
PIB Fact Check called it fake.
The document included a date and other details to make it look real.
People were advised to check government websites and trusted sources.
They should not share official-looking messages without verifying them.
The government denied a viral claim that it had notified a public-sector bank merger scheme.
The circulated document was formatted as an Extraordinary Gazette of India from the Finance Ministry.
It falsely claimed several public-sector banks would be merged into State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of Baroda.
The document carried September 15, 2026, reference numbers and the name of a purported official.
PIB Fact Check said the document was fake and urged people to verify claims through official sources.
- Who
- The Ministry of Finance and PIB Fact Check addressed the claim; the claim concerned several public-sector banks.
- What
- A purported government notification announced a scheme to merge multiple public-sector banks, but PIB Fact Check identified it as fake.
- When
- The fake document carried the date September 15, 2026; the articles do not specify when the clarification was issued.
- Where
- The document circulated on social media and was presented in the format of an Extraordinary Gazette of India.
- Why
- The clarification was issued to counter misleading information and encourage verification through official channels.
Viral document’s claims
Government fact-check
Whether a bank-merger scheme was notified
Viral document’s claims
The circulated document claimed the government had announced amalgamations involving several Public Sector Banks.
Government fact-check
PIB Fact Check rejected the claim, saying the document was fake and was not issued by the Ministry of Finance.
- Claim
- The Centre had notified a scheme to merge Public Sector Banks.
- Finding
- PIB Fact Check said the circulated notification was fake.
- Attributed department
- Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
- Document date
- September 15, 2026
- Claimed SBI Group mergers
- Indian Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Central Bank of India with State Bank of India
- Other claimed mergers
- Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Punjab & Sind Bank with Punjab National Bank; Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank with Bank of Baroda
- Official advice
- Verify information through official government channels and reliable sources before sharing it.