Budget 2022: 5 Union Budget tradition changes introduced for first time under Modi government
The Union Budget presentation has witnessed a few traditional changes for the first time under the Modi government.
New Delhi: Narendra Modi was elected as the Prime Minister of the country in 2014, and on July 10, 2014, then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had presented the first Union Budget under the Modi government.
Since then, the Union Budget presentation has witnessed a few traditional changes for the first time. Here’s the list of changes introduced to the Union Budget presentation under the Modi government:
No Halwa Ceremony in 2022
Union Budget Presentation Date
Since the British era, the Union budget was presented every year on 28 February. However, the date has advanced since 2017, when the then Finance Minister Jaitley presented the budget on February 1, 2017. The presentation date was advanced to make sure that all budget-related processes should be completed before April 1, the start of the new financial year.
Railway Budget integrated to Union Budget
Shift from Briefcase to Tablet
On February 1, 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had arrived with a tablet instead of a briefcase, to present the first-ever digital budget. The decision was taken after considering the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
On July 5, 2019, Finance Minister Sitharaman had also made an appearance with a red cloth bag instead of the traditional briefcase, carrying Union Budget-related documents.
Elimination of Five year plans
In 2015, the Modi government had eliminated the Planning Commission and had set up the NITI Aayog. The step also marked the end of the five year plans that came into existence for the first time when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had become the Prime Minister of Independent India. The last five year plan was of 2012-17.