₹500 Note Ban Rumours Fact Check: Will ₹500 Currency Be Phased Out After March? Here’s the Truth

Avijit

January 5, 2026 at 7:18 AM IST · 2 min read

Updated: February 20, 2026 at 10:07 PM IST

The 500 rupee note will be discontinued. Such a post is now viral on social media. These posts are claiming that 500 rupee notes will be discontinued in March 2026. Although this claim has been refuted by the government.

A fact check of this post has been done by the government agency PIB. They have informed that the Indian government is not demonetizing 500 rupee notes in March 2026. This claim is completely wrong. 500 rupee notes are still valid. It can be used in any transaction. The common man should not listen to such messages.

What messages are circulating on social media?

The Press Information Bureau (PIB) has said that there are many such messages circulating on social media, which say that the Reserve Bank of India is going to withdraw Rs 500 notes in March 2026. And this claim is completely baseless. RBI has not made any such claim.

Therefore, the PIB has appealed to the common people, saying, ‘Before believing such news, verify it once. Do not spread fake news. Rs 500 notes are still in the market. This money is legal.’

This is not the first rumour

Rumors have spread about Rs 500 notes several times before. Earlier, it was said that RBI would not make Rs 500 notes anymore, its use would stop. Although this claim was dismissed by the PIB and the government.

In this regard, Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Choudhary said that Parliament has no such plan. There is no question of stopping the supply of Rs 500 notes.

Along with this, he also said that Rs 500 notes will be available at ATMs. He will also get 100-200 rupee notes. He also dismissed the demand to discontinue 500 rupee notes.