The Press Information Bureau’s fact-checking unit has refuted online reports claiming that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued new guidelines allowing the exchange of discontinued currency. These claims were dismissed as false, with the PIB clarifying that the RBI has not made any such announcement. The official source for accurate financial updates and currency-related news remains the RBI’s website.
Users are advised to rely solely on verified information from official sources and refrain from forwarding unverified messages. The fact-checking unit emphasized the importance of vigilance and recommended reporting any suspicious content related to the Central Government to the Press Information Bureau for verification. Reports suggesting new exchange rules for old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes were also debunked by the unit, reiterating that no such guidelines have been introduced since demonetization in November 2016.
In a separate incident, a viral video falsely portraying Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman endorsing a high-return investment scheme was debunked. The fact-checking unit clarified that neither the Government of India nor the Finance Minister endorses such schemes, cautioning the public against misinformation. Recently, a fake message circulating on social media alleging that State Bank of India’s (SBI) YONO app accounts would be blocked without immediate Aadhaar updates was flagged by the PIB.
