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

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

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Union Budget Mobile App

In January this year, the Centre decided not to print documents related to the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning of April (FY 2021-22). All MPs will get soft copies of the budget and Economic Survey that contains an account of the state of the economy. The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App - “Union Budget Mobile App” after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February 2021. The App developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) is available both in Hindi and English and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. The two-part Union Budget session started on January 29 and will continue till February 15 and the second session will take place between March 8 and April 8.

FM's Halwa Ceremony

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

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Union Budget 2021

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

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