PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake Free Laptop Scheme and Bank Merger Gazette

The Press Information Bureau's fact-checking unit has dismissed as fake a widely circulated message claiming that the Government of India has invited applications from students for free laptops under a "National Student Laptop Scheme 2026."

The clarification followed the spread of a WhatsApp message on social media urging students to apply for free laptops through what was presented as a government-backed programme. PIB Fact Check said no scheme by that name has been announced, and no applications have been sought from students.

Warning against such offers, the agency said fraudsters frequently use attractive lures such as free laptops, scholarships or cash benefits to trick people into parting with personal, financial or banking details.

The laptop claim is the latest in a series of viral hoaxes that the government has moved to counter. Days earlier, PIB Fact Check rejected as fake a document purporting to be an Extraordinary Gazette of India issued by the Ministry of Finance's Department of Financial Services.

The two-page document, dated September 15, 2026, carried the reference F. No. 10/03/2026-BO.I and G.S.R. 612(E), and was attributed to a Joint Secretary to the Government of India.

According to the forged notification, Indian Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Central Bank of India would be amalgamated into the State Bank of India to form an "SBI Group." It further claimed that Union Bank of India, Bank of India and Punjab & Sind Bank would be merged into Punjab National Bank, while Canara Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and UCO Bank would be transferred to Bank of Baroda.

PIB Fact Check said the document was not an official notification from the Finance Ministry and had not been issued by it. The agency advised the public to verify such information through official and credible sources before believing or sharing it.