Finance Ministry Holds Halwa Ceremony for Union Budget 2026-27 Prep

The finance ministry on Tuesday will hold the traditional halwa ceremony, marking the formal beginning of the final phase of preparations for the Union Budget 2026–27, scheduled to be presented in Parliament on February 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to attend the ceremony along with senior officials and staff directly involved in the budget-making process.

The halwa ceremony is a long-standing ritual in India’s budgetary tradition. During the event, the finance minister ceremonially stirs a large pan of halwa, a traditional Indian sweet, which is then distributed among ministry officials and staff. The ceremony symbolizes a “sweet start” to the budget process and serves as a gesture of appreciation for the intensive work carried out by officials in drafting the Union Budget.

Following the ceremony, around 60–70 officials associated with the preparation of the budget will enter a strict lock-in period. During this time, they will remain isolated from the outside world with no access to external communication, including contact with family members. The lock-in is designed to ensure absolute confidentiality and prevent any leakage of sensitive budget information before the finance minister’s speech in Parliament.

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Although the finance ministry shifted its operations to Kartavya Bhavan last year, the printing of Budget 2026–27 documents will take place at the North Block press, citing logistical constraints at the new facility. Budget documents are now produced at a dedicated government press, reflecting changes introduced alongside the move to paperless budgets in recent years.

The lock-in period has been significantly shortened since the government adopted a paperless budget format in 2021. Historically, budget documents were printed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, but following incidents of leaks, printing was moved to Minto Road in 1950 and later shifted permanently to North Block in 1980. Despite technological changes, the halwa ceremony continues to remain a symbolic and integral part of India’s annual budget exercise.

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