Union Budget 2021 enters final stage with 'halwa ceremony'

The customary 'Halwa ceremony', which marks the beginning of compilation of budget documents, was held on Saturday at the Finance Ministry in the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur and senior officials.

The customary Halwa Ceremony, which marks the beginning of compilation of budget documents, was held on Saturday at the Finance Ministry in the presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur and senior officials.
 

The Halwa ceremony marks the final stage of the Budget making process for Union Budget 2021-22. Previously, the ceremony marked the launch of printing exercise for the budget.
 

But Union Budget 2021 will be unlike earlier years.

This year, voluminous budget documents will not be printed following the Coronavirus protocol and will instead be distributed electronically to the Members of Parliament. 
 

This will be the first time since independent India's first budget was presented on November 26, 1947, that documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union government along with the finance bill, detailing new taxes and other measures for the new financial year, will not be physically printed.

What is Halwa ceremony?
 

As per annual ritual, 'halwa' is prepared in a big vessel and served to the entire staff in the ministry.
 

After the dish is served, officials and support staff who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the Budget is presented by the Union Finance Minister in Parliament.
 

The Budget press situated in North Block houses all the officials in the period leading up to the presentation of the Union Budget.