Rs 500 notes to be discontinued by March 2026? A fact check
New Delhi: A message about the discontinuation of Rs 500 notes is going viral on social media. The message claims that the government will discontinue the Rs 500 note from March 2026. However, the government has now responded to this. The government body PIB (Press Information Bureau) has refuted this message in its post on X.
RBI to stop ₹500 notes from ATMs by March 2026
Some social media posts claim that the Reserve Bank of India will discontinue the circulation of ₹500 notes by March 2026.#PIBFactCheck:
This claim is #fake!
@RBI has made NO such announcement.
₹500 notes have… pic.twitter.com/F0Y3t0wHSf
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) January 2, 2026
PIB Fact Check
PIB, in its fact-check report, stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not made any announcement about discontinuing the circulation of Rs 500 notes by March 2026. This claim is completely false. Rs 500 notes are still legal tender and can be used for any transaction. People should not pay attention to such rumors.
What Does The Message Circulating On Social Media Claim?
The Press Information Bureau (PIB) stated that some social media posts are claiming that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will discontinue the circulation of Rs 500 notes by March 2026. This claim is false! The RBI has not made any such announcement. PIB appealed to people to verify the authenticity of such news before believing it and to never forward fake news. Rs 500 notes are still in circulation and valid.
Similar Rumors Have Spread Before
This is not the first time that a rumor about the discontinuation of Rs 500 notes has gone viral. Previously, similar false posts or news reports have claimed that Rs 500 notes would be discontinued. However, the PIB and the government have clarified this every time.
What Does The Government Say?
Pankaj Chaudhary, the Minister of State for Finance, also informed Parliament that there is no plan to stop the supply of Rs 500 notes. He also gave a major update regarding the Rs 100 and Rs 200 notes, stating that along with the 500-rupee notes, Rs 100 and Rs 200 notes can also be withdrawn from ATMs. He also dismissed the rumors about taking out of Rs 500 rupee notes from the system.