President Murmu's Auspicious Dahi-Cheeni Gesture to FM Sitharaman Before Budget

The 'dahi-cheeni' ritual is carried out by the President as it is considered an auspicious commencement of the day. This customary good-luck gesture was made during the Finance Minister's meeting with President Murmu at Rashtrapti Bhavan.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary was also present on the occasion. The Finance Minister was seen discussing the contours of the Budget proposals with the President.

Ahead of her arrival at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Sitharaman was seen carrying her trademark 'bahi-khata', a tablet wrapped in a red-coloured cloth bearing a golden-coloured national emblem on it.

MoS Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Economic Advisor Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Ravi Agrawal and other officials of the Finance Ministry were seen accompanying the Finance Minister.

Sitharaman is set to present her ninth consecutive Union Budget today at 11 am in the Lok Sabha, which will see her equal former Finance Minister P Chidambaram's record and surpass that of Pranab Mukherjee.

Former Prime Minister Morarji Desai continues to hold the record for presenting 10 term the most Union Budgets in independent India.

Sitharaman will present a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India for the year 2026-27.

The Finance Minister will also lay on the table two statements under Section 3(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003.

These include the Medium-term Fiscal Policy-cum-Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement and the Macro-economic Framework Statement.

The List of Business further states that Sitharaman will move for leave to introduce the Finance Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. She will also formally introduce the Bill.

The Finance Bill gives legal effect to the financial proposals of the government.FM Sitharaman is set to present India's ninth consecutive Union Budget.

On Thursday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey of India in Parliament for the financial year 2025-26.

The tabling of the Economic Survey ahead of the Budget follows the long-standing tradition of outlining the state of the economy before detailing future fiscal plans.

The Economic Survey of India is regarded as the nation's official annual "report card" on the economy. It provides a comprehensive, data-backed review of the economy's performance over the previous year and offers a broad roadmap for future policy direction. As the government's flagship annual report, it reviews key economic developments over the past 12 months.

The survey plays a crucial role in the lead-up to the Union Budget. While the Budget focuses on future government spending, taxation, and policy measures, the Economic Survey explains why those decisions are necessary by analysing past economic performance and trends.

The Economic Survey is prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the leadership of the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA). It is presented in two parts, each focusing on different aspects of the economy.

The Budget session will span 30 sittings over 65 days, concluding on April 2. The two Houses will adjourn for a recess on February 13 and reconvene on March 9 to enable the Standing Committees to examine the Demands for Grants of various ministries and departments.

- ANI