Union Budget 2025 Halwa Ceremony: The customary Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Union Budget preparation process, is set to take place on Friday evening, January 24, at the Central Secretariat’s North Block. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will preside over the event, accompanied by Minister of State Pankaj Chaudhary and senior finance ministry officials. Officers and staff involved in the budget’s preparation and compilation will also be present at the ceremony.
What is the Halwa Ceremony?
The Halwa ceremony is an annual tradition conducted before the “lock-in” phase of the Union Budget preparation begins. During the event, ‘halwa,’ a popular Indian sweet dish, is prepared in a large ‘kadhai’ at the North Block. The Finance Minister ceremoniously stirs the dish and serves it to everyone involved in the Budget-making process. This tradition acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the finance ministry officials and staff.
Significance of the Halwa Ceremony
The Halwa ceremony holds significant importance as it marks the commencement of the printing of all budget documents ahead of the official presentation in Parliament. Additionally, the ceremony signals the beginning of a strict lockdown period within the finance ministry. Once the lockdown begins, no official involved in the Budget process is allowed to leave the ministry premises until the financial document is presented in Parliament.
Since 1980, the Union Budget has been printed in the basement of the North Block, ensuring confidentiality and security.
Budget 2025 Presentation Date
The Budget 2025 will be presented in Parliament on February 1. The budget session of Parliament will commence on January 31 and conclude on April 4. President Droupadi Murmu will address the joint sitting of both houses on January 31. Following an inter-session break from February 14, parliamentary sittings will resume on March 10.
Like recent Union Budgets, the 2025 Budget will be delivered in a paperless format.
The upcoming Budget 2025 will be the seventh Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She holds the record for presenting the most annual budgets, surpassing former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented five annual budgets and one interim budget between 1959 and 1964 as finance minister.