Rupees 500 Note: : Will the 500 rupee note be phased out beginning March 2026? Will ATMs cease issuing 500 rupee notes? People are concerned about the rumors that are circulating on social media. If you’re concerned, the 500 rupee note will not be demonetized, and no plans to remove it from circulation have been announced.
In reality, certain tweets and videos went viral on social media, saying that 500 rupee notes will no longer be available at ATMs beginning in March 2026, and that the government will progressively remove them out of circulation. These stories spread so quickly that ordinary people were perplexed. As a result, the government was compelled to intervene and explain matters.
PIB declares the allegation fraudulent and files this appeal.
The government’s official fact-checking organization, the Press Information Bureau (PIB), has ruled these statements entirely incorrect. The PIB made it clear that the 500 rupee note is totally legal currency and will remain in circulation throughout the country. In a statement on the social networking site X, the PIB urged people not to believe rumors and to verify any news before sharing it. In its statement, the PIB stated, “Avoid misinformation.” Before believing or sharing any claim, please check it with an official government source.”
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
Why is there so much controversy about the Rupees 500 Note ?
Why is there so much controversy about the ₹500 note? The primary reason is that most ATMs in the country dispense ₹500 notes. People can readily withdraw enormous quantities of money at once. If the ₹500 note was abolished, cash withdrawals may have been a significant issue. Although some ATMs dispense ₹100 and ₹200 notes, the ₹500 is considered the backbone of the system.
The Minister of State for Finance clarified during the Rajya Sabha.
This is not the first time such rumors have circulated. A YouTube video from June 2025 suggested that the 500 rupee note would be withdrawn in March 2026. The government categorically rejected it at the time. Furthermore, in August 2025, Pankaj Chaudhary, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, indicated unequivocally in the Rajya Sabha that the government had no plans to discontinue the circulation of 500 rupee notes.
He also stated that all three types of notes—100, 200, and 500 rupees—would be available at ATMs. In short, the 500 rupee note is safe, and the social media rumors are untrue.
