FM takes part in customary halwa ceremony, marking final stage of Union Budget preparations

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday took part in the traditional halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of preparations for the Union Budget 2026–27, which will be presented in the Lok Sabha on February 1.

The ceremony was held at North Block on Raisina Hill, the former headquarters of the Finance Ministry, as the new office at Kartavya Bhawan-I does not have a printing press.

Although the Finance Minister and most of her team shifted to Kartavya Bhawan in September 2025, the halwa ceremony continues to be organised at North Block, in keeping with tradition.

The halwa ceremony is a customary ritual in which the traditional dessert is prepared and served to Finance Ministry officials and staff involved in Budget preparation.

It also signals the beginning of the “lock-in” period, during which officials stay in the basement of North Block to maintain secrecy around the final Budget documents. They will come out only after the Finance Minister completes her Budget speech in Parliament.

Maintaining tradition, the ceremony was organised in the basement of North Block and was attended by Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, secretaries of all departments under the Ministry of Finance, and other senior officials involved in drafting the Budget.

The Finance Minister also visited the Budget Press, reviewed preparations, and extended her best wishes to the Budget team.

Sitharaman will present her ninth consecutive Budget against the backdrop of India’s GDP growth expected to be 7.6 per cent this financial year, despite global geopolitical challenges.

Like the previous five full Budgets and one interim Budget, the Union Budget 2026–27 will be presented in a paperless format. All Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement, Demands for Grants and the Finance Bill, will be available on the Union Budget Mobile App and the official website after the Budget speech. The app is available in English and Hindi on both Android and iOS platforms.

The halwa ceremony, one of the few Budget traditions that continues, is seen as a gesture of appreciation for officials who work behind the scenes on the country’s most important financial document.

(With inputs from PTI)