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Union Budget 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman participated in a traditional ‘halwa’ ceremony, marking the final stage for the preparation of Union Budget 2025-26 to be unveiled on February 1.
The Finance Ministry carries out the customary practice every year right before the lock-in process begins for the budget preparation.
Halwa Ceremony 2025: The traditional ‘halwa’ ceremony, marking the final phase of preparation for the Union Budget 2025-26, took place at North Block on Friday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, and senior officials were present for the event.
This ceremony signifies the last step before the Union Budget 2025-26 is presented on February 1 in the Lok Sabha. The ritual involves the preparation and serving of the traditional dessert, ‘halwa,’ to the officials and staff members of the finance ministry who are directly involved in crafting the budget.
The halwa ceremony serves as a kind of ‘send-off’ for the finance ministry team, as they enter a ‘lock-in’ period. During this time, they remain secluded in the basement of North Block, cut off from external contact to preserve the confidentiality of the final budget document.
What is the Halwa Ceremony?
The Halwa ceremony is a traditional event held at North Block, where a sweet dish is prepared in a large wok (kadhai). The Union Minister leads the cooking process, stirring the kadhai ceremoniously before serving the dish to everyone involved in preparing the Union Budget. This ritual typically occurs five days before the budget is presented in Parliament for the upcoming financial year.
Significance of the Halwa Ceremony
The Halwa ceremony is more than just a celebratory event; it marks the culmination of the intense work leading up to the final stage of budget preparation. It serves as a way to acknowledge and honor the contributions of all those involved in drafting the budget. Additionally, it signifies the start of the ‘lock-in’ period, a critical phase to ensure the confidentiality and security of the Union Budget.
During the lock-in period, finance ministry staff are isolated within North Block, cut off from the outside world. They are not allowed to use mobile phones or other communication devices. Several measures are taken to prevent any leaks of budget information, with communication to the outside world heavily restricted.
This lock-in period lasts until the budget documents receive final approval from the Prime Minister and are ready for printing. The printing is carried out in a high-security area in the basement of North Block, with the core team overseeing the process. To further safeguard the process, the Intelligence Bureau conducts surprise inspections of the printing press.
Although the Narendra Modi government has introduced several changes to traditional budget practices since 2014—such as merging the Rail Budget with the main Budget, advancing the budget presentation date to February 1, and transitioning to a digital format—the ‘halwa’ ceremony remains a steadfast tradition.
