Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in the traditional ‘halwa’ ceremony at North Block in New Delhi, signaling the culmination of preparations for the Union Budget 2024-25.
Ceremony Details
- Location and Participants: Held in the basement of North Block, attended by high-ranking officials including Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, and senior secretaries.
- Purpose: Marks the final stage of budget preparation with the preparation and serving of ‘halwa’ to finance ministry officials involved in the process.
Budget Preparation Process
- Digital Format: Like previous years, Union Budget 2024-25 will be presented in a paperless format.
- Accessibility: All budget documents will be available on the “Union Budget Mobile App” for easy access.
Significance of the Ceremony
- Secrecy and Tradition: Officials enter a ‘lock-in’ period after the ceremony, maintaining confidentiality until the Budget speech is delivered in Lok Sabha.
- Appreciation: Recognizes the efforts of officials who work on the annual financial statement.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):
- Where was the ‘halwa’ ceremony held for Union Budget 2024-25?
- A) South Block
- B) North Block
- C) Rashtrapati Bhavan
- D) Minto Road
- What is the purpose of the ‘halwa’ ceremony?
- A) Budget printing initiation
- B) Budget preparation completion
- C) Budget distribution
- D) Budget presentation rehearsal
- How are Union Budget documents accessed post-preparation?
- A) Printed copies at Rashtrapati Bhavan
- B) Distributed via government press
- C) Available on Union Budget Mobile App
- D) Presented in Lok Sabha session