Halwa Ceremony

Why is in news? Final stage of Union Budget 2023-24 commences with Halwa Ceremony

The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget preparation process for Union Budget 2023-24, was held on 26^th January.

The traditional halwa ceremony is held ahead of the Budget presentation every year in India and marks the commencement of the printing process of the official Budget document.

The ceremony also recognises the efforts of every staff member who was a part of the budget-making process.

A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins.

After Halwa is served, the officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the Budget Press (situated inside North Block) and remain cut off from their families until the presentation of the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha as part of maintaining the secrecy.

Like the previous two Union Budgets, Union Budget 2023-24 will also be delivered in paperless form. The Union Budget 2023-24 is to be presented on 1st February, 2023.

All the 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill etc. as prescribed by the Constitution, will available on the “Union Budget Mobile App” for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience.

Union Budget Mobile App is bilingual (English & Hindi) and will be available on both Android and iOS platforms. The App can also be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal (www.indiabudget.gov.in).

The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Finance Minister in Parliament on 1st February, 2023.

Interestingly, till 1950, the Budget documents used to be printed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan but following a leak in the same year, the venue was shifted to Minto Road and later to the North Block.