In preparation for presenting the Union Budget for 2024-25, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman emerged from the finance ministry holding a tablet encased in a red “bahi-khata” sleeve, adorned with the national emblem. This transition reflects the move towards a paperless budget presentation.
Sitharaman, dressed in a white silk saree with a violet border, posed with her team outside her office for the customary photograph before proceeding to Rashtrapati Bhawan to meet the President.
In a notable shift in 2019, Sitharaman replaced the traditional Budget briefcase with a “bahi-khata,” an Indian accounting ledger, moving away from the colonial legacy associated with the budget presentation.
The Finance Minister adopted a paperless approach in 2021, using a ‘Made in India’ tablet for the budget presentation. This year marks her seventh consecutive budget and the Narendra Modi Government’s 13th straight Budget since 2014. The forthcoming budget is anticipated to address income tax reforms and enhance the business environment in Bharat.
Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, has indicated that the first Union Budget of Modi’s third term will adhere to the Prime Minister’s vision of “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas.”
The Parliament’s budget session began on July 22 and is scheduled to conclude on August 12. According to the economic survey presented by Sitharaman, the Indian economy is projected to grow at a rate of 7 per cent in the medium term.
