Budget 2020 Halwa ceremony date, significance, history: The customary India Budget 2020 Halwa ceremony was held today i.e January 20. With less than a fortnight to go for the Narendra Modi government’s Union Budget 2020, the traditional Budget Halwa ceremony took place today at the office of Ministry of Finance. Nirmala Sitharaman, who is India’s first full-time women Finance Minister, presided over the Halwa ceremony. Minister of State, Finance, Anurag Thakur was also present at the ceremony along with senior Finance Ministry officials. India Budget 2020 will be presented by FM Sitharaman on February 1, 2020.
What is Budget Halwa Ceremony? Significance, history, process
Budget Halwa ceremony is considered as a crucial exercise because the process of printing of Union Budget-related documents begins after the ceremony. Every year ahead of the Union Budget, the traditional event takes place at the Finance Ministry office in the North Block in New Delhi. Union Finance Minister presides over the ceremony in the presence of the MoS, Finance and other Finance Ministry officials. On the day of the Halwa ceremony, the desi sweet dish ‘Halwa’ is prepared on a large cauldron or ‘Kadhai’. Following the preparation of the Halwa, Finance Minister distributed it to the employees of the Finance Ministry.
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While there is no mention of any particular date from which the Budget Halwa ceremony began, it can be said that the event certainly follows the Indian tradition of preparing sweets before anything important.
Budget Quarantine process
Along with the Budget 2020 Halwa ceremony, Budget Quarantine process also begins. As part of the Union Budget Quarantine process protocol, the employees involved in the Budget-making process, including the printing of documents, will move to the basement of the north block for 10 days. Since Finance Ministry officials will be finalizing and preparing confidential Budget papers, journalists and visitors won’t be allowed to access the Finance Ministry office. Intelligence Bureau officials, Delhi police personnel are deployed to maintain the vigil. Security personnel have already started guarding the exit and entry points of the Finance Ministry office.
Source: Financial Express
