Ever since the inception of the state, 26 finance ministers have presented the union budgets across the period of 72 years. While these budget presentations can be monotonous, the ceremonies or conventions around the budget process are simply amazing and unique! Here are the top 5 conventions followed during the budget process:
- The lock-in of the staff:
If one thinks the pandemic was tough because they could not meet their loved ones, the staff involved in the budget preparation is strictly quarantined inside of the North Block until the Budget is presented. The staff cannot leave the premises, nor they can contact their loved ones and if they need to step out of the premises in a critical situation they are followed by intelligence officials and the police. Moreover, before the food is presented to them, their food is tasted by appointed food tasters while there are doctors on the premises to monitor their health.
Image Source: Wikipedia
- The staff and the Finance Minister are ‘shot’:
I know you must be confused with the title but I assure you they are not shot with a gun rather with a camera. The Finance Minister and the involved staff pose for a press photocall on the Budget day. The Finance Minister holds their briefcase which contains the budget for the year. This tradition goes back to the times of Queen Victoria.
Image Source: The Wire
- From a leather briefcase to a ‘bahi khata’:
Ever since the first budget for the country was presented, the Finance Minister has always carried a leather briefcase. This has been inspired by the British parliamentary traditions. However, since 2019, FM Nirmala Sitharaman began keeping the budget in a bright red ‘bahi khata’ or a ledger that contained a digital tablet from which she presented a budget.
Image Source: The Economic Times
- “We do not know about it”:
The security and secrecy around the budget are top-notch, perhaps even more secretive than Area-51. Some of the security measures include tapping of phones and computers, high-tech surveillance sweeps for electronic bugs, hidden cameras, jammers and so on. Such steps are being taken because the budget leaked in the 1950s, causing a tremendous embarrassment for the government at the time.
Image Source: India Today
- Let the mithai party begin! :
The best thing about the budget ceremony is that there is a halwa ceremony for all the staff members involved. The ceremony usually takes place a few days before the budget presentation and marks the final stages of the budget preparation. The ceremony is organized at the Union Finance Ministry’s headquarters. During the ceremony, the MoS Finance and other top representatives are present. However, this year the government has cancelled the halwa ceremony due to the ongoing pandemic.
Image Source: The Economic TImes
Overall the budget process is a mammoth affair in the country and as it should be. These ceremonies make the budget a complete process and without them, the budget process would be a mundane task. Another interesting fact about the budget presentation is that the government launched an app called the ‘Union Budget Mobile App’ so that lawmakers and citizens can access budget-related documents with ease.
References: First Post and India Today
