The traditional halwa ceremony, held ahead of the Budget presentation every year in India, marks the commencement of the printing process of the government's Budget document. The ceremony also recognises the efforts of every staff member who was a part of the budget-making process.

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The ceremony is attended by the finance minister and other officials and clerks of the ministry. As per the ritual, the halwa is prepared in a large wok and served to the officials of the finance ministry who are directly associated with the Budget.

Once the sweet dish is served, officials and other staff is made to stay in the basement of the north block of the finance ministry till the Budget is not tabled in the Parliament. These people, usually around 100 in number, are even cut off from their families for a period of around 10 days to ensure the secrecy of budget details and to prevent any leaks. Only senior officials are allowed to leave the north block.

Last year, the number of people in the north block was reduced as not many people could be put in a place due to COVID restrictions. Further, the Budget was delivered in paperless form for the first time ever in the history of independent India in 2021 and as the Budget went paperless, the printing staff didn't need to be kept in the north block after the halwa ceremony.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' for hassle-free access of Budget documents to Members of Parliament (MPs) and the public.

(Edited by : Anshul)

First Published:Jan 5, 2022 1:14 PM IST