ADVERTISEMENT

Budget 2021: Halwa Ceremony At Finance Ministry To Mark Paperless Budget

The ministry of finance today held it’s traditional annual “halwa ceremony” to mark the beginning of the lock-in period.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State Anurag Singh Thakur serving halwa in a ceremony to mark the final preparation stage of Union Budget 2021-22. (Photo: Finance Ministry social media)
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of State Anurag Singh Thakur serving halwa in a ceremony to mark the final preparation stage of Union Budget 2021-22. (Photo: Finance Ministry social media)

India’s Ministry of Finance today held its traditional annual “halwa ceremony” to begin the lock-in period and mark the final stage of budget preparation. The union budget will be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Feb. 1 in Parliament.

In photographs shared by the ministry and a video shared by news agency ANI, Sitharaman is seen eating the halwa, a confection eaten to mark an auspicious day, along with Anurag Singh Thakur, minister of state for finance and corporate affairs, and other senior officials.

Usually, the halwa ceremony marks the budget papers going to print. But this year, for the first time, the budget will be delivered paperless to the members of the parliament. The ministry also launched a mobile app that will give MPs and public access to budget documents.