Union Budget 2025: What Is Halwa Ceremony? Why Is It Important?

India’s Union Budget is one of the most anticipated events of the year and is presented every year by the Finance Minister in Parliament. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1, 2025. This is the second budget of the Modi government’s third term and the eighth consecutive budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, including an interim budget.

While the Union Budget itself always gets a lot of attention, one pre-Budget tradition gets a lot of attention – the halwa ceremony. But what is this ritual? Why is it so important?

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What is the pre-budget halwa ceremony?

The Halwa ceremony is a pre-budget ceremony held by the Indian Ministry of Finance, usually held about 9-10 days before the Union Budget is presented to Parliament. The ritual involves the preparation of halwa in a large pot in the kitchen of the Ministry of Finance in North Delhi. The finance minister presides over the churning of the halwa, which is then given to officials and staff involved in the budget preparation process.

Why is the Halwa ritual important?

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The Halwa ceremony is more than just a cultural or festive event. The ceremony not only celebrated the hard work that has gone into the final stages of the budget preparation process. It symbolizes the beginning of the lockdown period, which is crucial to ensuring the confidentiality and security of the Union budget. After the ceremony, all staff involved in drafting the budget entered a period of quarantine at the Ministry of Finance (especially the North District).

This lockdown period involves a number of measures to ensure that no details are leaked before the budget is tabled in parliament. The most significant action was the seizure of the officers’ cellphones and other communication devices. No communication with the outside world is allowed, and officials are cut off from the outside world. This rigorous process helps maintain confidentiality and prevents unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information about the budget.

The lockdown period lasts until the budget document has been approved by the Prime Minister and is ready for printing. The printing of the budget itself is done in the North Block basement, a high-security area that ensures no one outside the core team has access to the final draft before the official budget is released.

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Historical Significance of Halwa Ceremony

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The halwa ceremony has been part of the federal budget tradition for many years, but its exact origins are unclear. However, its importance increased significantly after the 1950 budget leak, which exposed sensitive details of the budget before its official release.

After this event, the budget printing press was moved from the Presidential Palace to Minto Road and eventually to the North Block basement, where it has been the permanent printing press of the budget since 1980.

Budget 2025 – date, time, when?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget 2025 on February 1, 2025 at 11:00 am. This will mark another important chapter in the Government’s ongoing national fiscal planning and initiatives. As the second budget of the Modi government’s third term, the nation will be closely watching for announcements related to economic reforms, growth strategies and social welfare schemes.

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion