Union Budget 2021: Bahi Khata to Budget App, 3 major changes in traditions this year

Back in 2019, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman h replaced  lear briefcase that h for deces been used for carrying budget documents with a tritional red cloth 'Bahi-Khata' in her first Budget Session. However, FM decided to move away from tritional style of 'Bahi-Khata' in wake of coronavirus pandemic and switched to digital and took an unprecedented step by launching  'Union Budget Mobile App' during Halwa Ceremony earlier this month. 

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Union Budget Mobile App

In January this year, Centre decided t to print documents related to Union Budget for fiscal beginning of April (FY 2021-22). All MPs will get soft copies of budget and Ecomic Survey that contains an account of state of ecomy. Budget documents will be available on Mobile App - “Union Budget Mobile App” after completion of Budget Speech by Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February 2021. App developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC) under guidance of Department of Ecomic Affairs (DEA) is available both in Hindi and English and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. two-part Union Budget session started on January 29 and will continue till February 15 and second session will take place between March 8 and April 8.

FM's Halwa Ceremony

Around 10 days or so before documents connected to Budget are printed, a halwa (pudding) is cooked in a large vessel and distributed to officials directly associated with Budget. Following this ceremony, tritionally, officials are locked in rth Block, cut off from outside world, and are let out only before actual presentation begins in Parliament. A mobile phone jammer is installed inside Finance Ministry to prevent leak of information. 

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Union Budget 2021

As Indian ecomy recovers from blow from COVID pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present annual budget for FY 21-22 at 11 AM on Monday. Leers of various parties attending meeting assured that re would be full participation in all debates and discussions in House, sources ded.  It was also decided that Rajya Sabha would sit on February 13 inste of scheduled sitting on February 15, as last of first part of Budget Session.  Budget will be presented at 11 am in Parliament.

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