Briefcase To <i>Bahi Khata</i> To Tablet: A Journey Of Budget Presentation

When Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her first Union Budget in 2019, she drew the nation's attention by replacing the budget briefcase with the "bahi khata". The decision to opt for the bahi khata appeared to be a move to dump the colonial practice of carrying a briefcase. The "budget briefcase" was a remnant of the colonial era. It was a copy of the Gladstone Box, which British finance ministers have carried to parliam...