Claim
A viral message circulating on social media claims that pre-2005 Mahatma Gandhi Series ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 and ₹100 banknotes will no longer be accepted at banks after June 30, 2026, suggesting that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has ordered their withdrawal.
Fact
The claim is false.
What Is the Viral Claim?
The viral posts allege that:
- Pre-2005 ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 and ₹100 notes will stop being accepted after June 30, 2026.
- Bank of Maharashtra has instructed customers to exchange these notes before the deadline.
- Other banks may soon follow similar instructions.
The claim quickly spread across social media and messaging platforms, causing confusion among the public.
What Did Bank of Maharashtra Say?
The Bank of Maharashtra dismissed the claim through an official post on its verified Facebook page.The bank stated that the circulating message is false and clarified that customers can continue using these banknotes. According to the bank, the message claiming that pre-2005 notes will not be accepted after June 30 is fake, and customers should rely only on official announcements issued by the bank and the RBI.
The bank also urged people not to share or believe unverified messages, using the hashtag #FakeMessageAlert. The Bank of Maharashtra has officially denied issuing any such circular and clarified that the viral message is fake. The bank also confirmed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not issued any directive discontinuing pre-2005 Mahatma Gandhi Series banknotes.
What Does RBI Say About Pre-2005 Notes?
The confusion appears to stem from an RBI communication issued in 2015.
At that time, the RBI encouraged people to exchange older pre-2005 Mahatma Gandhi Series notes because they contained fewer security features than newer banknotes.
However, the RBI also made it clear that:
- Pre-2005 notes continue to remain legal tender.
- There is no deadline after which these notes become invalid.
- The objective was to improve the quality of currency in circulation and strengthen anti-counterfeiting measures.
The RBI has not announced any fresh decision to withdraw these notes.
Why Did This Rumour Spread?
The misinformation appears to have emerged after old RBI advisories resurfaced online and were incorrectly linked to a recent deadline. Some social media posts falsely claimed that banks had begun refusing old notes after June 30, creating fears of another demonetisation-like exercise. However, neither the RBI nor any scheduled commercial bank has announced such a measure.
Conclusion
False. There is no RBI directive discontinuing pre-2005 Mahatma Gandhi Series ₹10, ₹20, ₹50 or ₹100 banknotes after June 30, 2026. The Bank of Maharashtra has officially labelled the viral claim as fake, and the RBI continues to recognise these notes as legal tender. People should verify currency-related information only through official announcements issued by the RBI or authorised banks. The viral message claiming that pre-2005 Mahatma Gandhi Series banknotes will stop being accepted after June 30 is misinformation. Neither the Reserve Bank of India nor the Bank of Maharashtra has announced any withdrawal of these notes. Customers can continue using valid banknotes and should avoid sharing unverified claims circulating on social media.