Halwa Ceremony before Budget: Its significance and tradition explained

The traditional 'Halwa Ceremony' was held at the Finance Ministry on Thursday in presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which marked the beginning of the preparation of the documents relating to the Union Budget 2023-24. Union Minister of State (MoS) for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad and Pankaj Chaudhary along with senior officials of the Finance Ministry were also present during the ceremony. 

The customary ceremony, which also marks the final stage of compiling the Union Budget, was held at the Finance Ministry's Budget Press inside North Block. It begins with the Finance Minister stirring the halwa in the kadhai and then serving it to the colleagues of the ministry in the office. 

Budget became paperless in 2021 in wake of pandemic

The halwa ceremony is a tradition performed every year ahead of the budget and it marks the final stage of preparing the plan for the upcoming financial year. After the ceremony, the budget documents are usually prepared. Earlier the documents were being printed on paper, but in the wake of COVID-19, the process changed in 2021 and the budget became paperless. 

This year too the Union Budget 2023-24 will be presented in paperless form. It is said that after the ceremony, all the officials of the finance ministry involved in preparing the budget are supposed to move to the basement of the North Block till the budget is presented in the parliament. This is also one of the traditions to ensure no leakages in the budget for the next financial year. 

However, in 2022 the ceremony was skipped due to the COVID pandemic. The budget documents will be available in the Union Budget Mobile App, launched last year to allow hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and other citizens of the country after it is presented by the finance minister. 

Every section of society is expecting something for them in the budget and all eyes are on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the budget on coming February 1st this year. Especially, farmers and the middle class are expecting a budget with favourable provisions for them.