Is Indian Govt Planning To Monetise Temple Gold? Here's What Centre Says

The government has denied reports and social media claims suggesting it was planning to introduce a gold monetisation scheme for temple trusts and religious institutions. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance described the claims as "false, misleading and baseless".

The clarification came after speculation that the Centre intended to issue gold bonds to temples in exchange for their gold reserves or had approved a proposal to monetise temple gold holdings. The ministry rejected these suggestions outright, stressing that no such scheme was under consideration.

It also dismissed claims that gold plates installed on temple towers, doors or other structures would be treated as "Strategic Gold Reserves of India". Officials emphasised that such assertions were entirely unfounded and warned against the circulation of unverified information that could mislead the public.

Citizens were urged to rely only on official communications issued through authorised channels for updates on government policies and schemes. The ministry reiterated that any policy announcements would be made through press releases, government websites and verified platforms.

Earlier this month, the government had similarly defended India's textile recycling ecosystem against what it called "misleading" portrayals in international media. It argued that reports focusing on clusters such as Panipat had overlooked the country's progress in sustainability, regulation and technology adoption, while selectively highlighting environmental and occupational concerns.