10 Unknown Facts About India's Budget: From 5 PM Presentation to Halwa Ceremony

• Historically, India's budget was presented at 5 PM, a tradition from the British Raj, changed to 11 AM in 2001 by Yashwant Sinha.
• Since a 1950 leak, budget printing occurs in a secret North Block bunker, with around 100 team members isolated for 8-10 days to maintain secrecy.
• The 'Halwa Ceremony' before budget printing signifies an auspicious start, with the Finance Minister serving halwa to the team; it was only skipped once during COVID-19.
• The shortest budget was 800 words by Hirubhai M. Patel in 1977, while Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the longest at 2 hours 42 minutes in 2020.
• India's budget presentation abandoned the British-era briefcase in 2019, with Nirmala Sitharaman introducing the traditional 'bahi-khata' (ledger).

Why It Matters: India's budget has a rich and unique history, marked by colonial traditions, secrecy protocols, and significant reforms.