New Delhi, July 23: Ahead of presenting the Union Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday.
During the meeting, President Murmu performed a traditional ritual by offering Sitharaman 'dahi-cheeni,' a customary gesture in Indian families intended to bring good fortune before embarking on significant tasks.
This year’s Budget will mark Sitharaman’s seventh consecutive budget presentation, a milestone that makes her the first finance minister to deliver seven consecutive Budgets, surpassing the previous record held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented six consecutive Budgets between 1959 and 1964. The Modi government’s 13th Budget since 2014 will also be presented this year.
Earlier in the day, FM Sitharaman and her team took part in a traditional photo session outside the Finance Ministry. She was dressed in an off-white saree with a magenta border and held the red 'bahi-khata' ledger featuring the national emblem.
In a break from tradition, Sitharaman introduced the ‘bahi khata,’ a red Indian accounting ledger, in 2019, replacing the conventional Budget briefcase. In 2021, she presented the Budget in a paperless format using a ‘Made in India’ tablet.
The Budget Session commenced on July 22 and is scheduled to conclude on August 12.
On Monday, FM Sitharaman also presented the Economic Survey in Parliament. The Survey forecasts India’s GDP growth rate to be between 6.5% and 7% for 2024-25, reflecting a robust economic outlook. Chief Economic Adviser V. Anantha Nageswaran stated that while achieving a 7% growth rate is feasible, the global economic environment has become more challenging since the start of the year.
