With September 11 bringing both the BRICS Summit in Delhi and a nationwide bank strike, the status of banking services has drawn attention

NEW DELHI: With the 18th Brics Leaders’ Summit set to begin in New Delhi, the capital is preparing for a weekend of heightened security, traffic restrictions and government office closures. This has also prompted questions over whether banks will remain shut tomorrow on September 11.So, are banks closed on Friday?Not across the country. The Reserve Bank of India’s holiday calendar lists September 11 as a bank holiday in Rajasthan, where branches will remain closed due to elections in the jurisdiction of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation. The RBI calendar does not list September 11 as a bank holiday in Delhi, meaning bank branches in the national capital are not closed merely because of the summit.However, bank operations could also be affected by a nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on September 11. The forum, which claims to represent more than 90 per cent of the banking workforce, is protesting over the long-pending demand for a five-day banking week, the revised Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and other unresolved issues. The unions have also announced a three-day strike from September 28 to 30, followed by an indefinite strike from October 26 if their demands are not addressed. The strike is a union-led agitation and is separate from the RBI’s bank holiday calendar.Several major banks have warned customers that branch and office operations could be affected by the strike. State Bank of India (SBI) said it has made arrangements for normal functioning at its branches and offices but acknowledged that work across the bank may still be impacted.Punjab National Bank (PNB), UCO Bank , Indian Bankand Bank of Maharashtra have also issued advisories warning of possible disruption to banking services on September 11.In Gujarat, customers could face another disruption as the Maha Gujarat Bank Employees’ Association (MGBEA) has called a strike from September 11 to 13. With September 12 being the second Saturday and September 13 a Sunday, public sector bank branches in the state could remain shut for three days at a stretch. The association has said around 5,400 branches and 75,000 employees and officers are expected to participate, potentially affecting transactions worth around Rs 15,000 crore.Read more: Three-day bank strike from Sep 11 in Gujarat; 5,400 branches to remain shut, Rs 15,000 crore of transactions to be affected

What are the other bank holidays in September?

Banks will remain closed in Assam on September 12 due to Tirubhav Tithi of Srimanta Sankardeva. Several states will observe a bank holiday on September 14 for Ganesh Chaturthi and related celebrations, while Gujarat, Odisha and Goa will have further closures on September 15 for Samvatsari, Nuakhai and Ganesh Chaturthi (second day), respectively.Other state-specific bank holidays are scheduled for September 21, 22, 23 and 25.Additionally, as a general rule, banks are generally closed on Sundays and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, irrespective of state-specific holidays.Customers should check their specific branch’s holiday schedule before planning a visit.Meanwhile, ATMs, UPI, internet banking and mobile banking will continue to be available for routine transactions, subject to scheduled maintenance, although branch-dependent services may be delayed.RBI holiday calendar