New Delhi2 hours ago
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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the traditional ‘Halwa Ceremony’ on Tuesday (January 27). The ceremony marks the final stage of preparations for Budget 2026-27. The budget will be presented in the Lok Sabha on February 1.
The special thing is that this time the budget making team had to shift to the old basement of North Block, because the new office of the ministry ‘Kartavya Bhawan’ does not have the facility of printing press.
Ceremony held in North Block, now lock-in period begins
With the Halwa ceremony, the ‘lock-in’ period of budget making officers and employees has started. Now till the presentation of the budget, all these officers will remain in the basement of North Block. Their contact with the outside world will be completely cut off.
During this period, the Finance Minister visited the budget press and took stock of the preparations. On this occasion, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and all the secretaries of the ministry were present with him.
Budget team returned from new office to old basement
In September 2025, the Finance Minister and his team were shifted from the historic North Block to the modern ‘Kartavya Bhawan-I’. But for secrecy and printing of the budget the team was sent back to North Block. The printing press of the budget is located in the basement of North Block itself, whereas there is no such arrangement in the new secretariat.
Sitharaman’s 9th consecutive budget: Eye on GDP growth
Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 9th consecutive budget (including full and interim) on 1 February 2026. This budget is coming at a time when India’s GDP growth is estimated to be 7.6% in the current financial year, despite geopolitical tensions across the world. The middle class and taxpayers have high expectations from the budget.
Budget 2026 will also be paperless, data will be available on mobile app
Like the last five times, this time too the budget will be completely digital i.e. paperless. After the Finance Minister’s speech in Parliament is over, all the budget documents will be available on the Union Budget mobile app.
The app is in both Hindi and English languages and can be downloaded from both Android and iOS platforms. MPs and general public will be able to view documents like Annual Financial Statement and Finance Bill on this app.
What is Halwa Ceremony and why is it important?
- This ritual is performed a few days before the presentation of the budget. In Indian tradition, any auspicious work starts with sweets.
- After the pudding is made, those officials who are involved in the drafting and printing of the budget are put under ‘house arrest’.
- This is done to maintain confidentiality so that no budget information is leaked.
Read this news also…
Budget Expectation – Keeping an eye on proposals like abolishing double penalty: Possible consideration of giving option of joint tax return to husband and wife
The middle class and tax payers are expected to get relief in the general budget. Consideration may be given to giving the husband and wife the option to file income tax returns jointly. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India has suggested that married couples file a single return, in which tax slabs and exemptions are applied jointly, instead of separate returns. Read the full news…
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