New Delhi, Jan 27: The traditional Halwa ceremony, which marks the final stage of preparations for the Union Budget 2026-27, was held on Tuesday at the Budget Press in North Block. 

The ceremony took place in the presence of Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary.

The Halwa ceremony is an important ritual that signals the beginning of the ‘lock-in’ period for officials involved in preparing the Budget.

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Once the ceremony is completed, these officials remain cut off from outside contact to ensure complete confidentiality until the Budget is presented.

The Union Budget 2026-27 is scheduled to be presented in Parliament on February 1.

During the ceremony, the Finance Minister was joined by secretaries of various departments under the Ministry of Finance and other senior officials associated with the Budget-making process.

FM Sitharaman also visited the Budget Press to review the final preparations and extended her best wishes to the entire team working on the Budget.

The government also announced that all Union Budget documents will be made available in digital format for easy public access.

These include key documents such as the Annual Financial Statement, also known as the Budget, the Demand for Grants and the Finance Bill.

“All Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill, will also be available on the ‘Union Budget Mobile App’ for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public in a digital accessible mode,” Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

The Budget documents will be accessible through the Union Budget Mobile App, which is available in both English and Hindi.

The app can be downloaded on Android and iOS platforms and is also accessible through the Union Budget website, indiabudget.gov.in.

However, the Budget documents will be made available on the mobile app and the website only after the Finance Minister completes her Budget speech in Parliament on February 1.

“The Budget documents will be available on the Mobile App and the website after the completion of the Budget Speech by the Union Finance Minister in Parliament on February 1,” the ministry added.

(IANS)