Budget 2026: From 5 PM to 11 AM – The British Connection Behind the Change

• Union Budget 2026 preparations are underway, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman set to present it on February 1, 2026, at 11 AM.
• Historically, the budget was presented at 5 PM, a tradition inherited from the British era to align with 11 AM London time for British officials.
• In 1999, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government, broke this 53-year-old tradition by presenting the budget at 11 AM.
• This change was made to align the budget presentation time with India's needs, moving away from foreign-influenced timings.
• The budget presentation date was also changed in 2017 by Arun Jaitley from the last week of February to February 1, to ensure timely implementation of schemes.

Why It Matters: India's Union Budget presentation time and date were reformed to suit national needs, ending British-era traditions.