A Budget in January?

Nirmala Sitharaman’s eighth full Budget faces many challenges, but abandoning fiscal consolidation is not the way out

- A K BHATTACHARYA

The Union government has kicked off its formal pre-Budget meetings with different groups of experts and stakeholders. For a variety of reasons, there is an air of expectancy around the Union Budget for 2026-27, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present in February 2026. Or will she present it in January 2026? There is a reason for this doubt.

Since 2017, when the date for presenting the Union Budget was advanced to February 1, this will be the first time it falls on a Sunday. When Union Budgets used to be presented on the last day of February, the convention was that if February 28 or 29 fell on a Sunday, the previous day (Saturday) would be chosen for presenting the Budget. There have been only two exceptions in the last 79 Union Budgets since 1947, when the last day of February fell on a Sunday, but the finance minister concerned decided to advance the presentation of the Budget to Friday. On all other occasions, when the last day of February fell on a Sunday, the Budget was presented on the previous day, Saturday.

Ms Sitharaman, therefore, has to decide whether she will opt for the past convention or create a new one while presenting the 80th Budget of India since Independence. If she settles for the past convention, she will be presenting the Budget for 2026-27 on January 31, even though it would be a Saturday. Otherwise, she could do it on February 2, 2026.