Finance Minister to Unveil Union Budget on February 1

Union Budget Presentation Scheduled

New Delhi, Jan 12: In a historic move, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the general budget in Parliament on February 1, which falls on a Sunday, as announced by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday.

This marks Sitharaman's ninth budget presentation, just one shy of the record held by former finance minister Morarji Desai, who presented ten budgets.

The Budget session of Parliament will commence on January 28, featuring an address by President Droupadi Murmu to members of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha gathered in the Lok Sabha chamber.

Following the President's address, Sitharaman is expected to present the Economic Survey in both Houses of Parliament.

The government has officially designated February 1 as Budget Day, when the General Budget will be unveiled.

Previously, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated that the Budget session would run from January 28 to April 2.

The initial segment of the session is scheduled to conclude on February 13, with a reconvening on March 9, allowing parliamentary committees time to review the budget proposals.

In the meantime, the Congress party expressed hopes that the upcoming Union Budget will effectively tackle the issues of stagnant private corporate investment and income disparities, emphasizing that mere higher GDP growth rates are not sustainable.

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, pointed out that household savings rates have significantly dropped, and inequalities in wealth, income, and consumption are worsening.

Ramesh remarked that it remains to be seen whether the forthcoming Union Budget will step beyond statistical illusions, recognize the existing realities and challenges, and implement substantial measures to address them.

"The budget will likely reflect the recommendations made by the 16th Finance Commission, which submitted its report on November 17, 2025. These recommendations pertain to the allocation of tax revenues between the Centre and States, as well as the distribution of these revenues among the States for the period 2026/27 to 2031/32," he stated in a social media update.