The finance ministry will hold the traditional halwa ceremony on Tuesday, marking the start of the final phase of Union Budget 2026‑27 preparations. The ceremony is a long-standing tradition in India's annual budget presentation.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will attend the event along with senior ministry officials and staff closely involved in budget-making. The ceremony is considered a key ritual in India's budgetary process and is held annually ahead of the main budget presentation on Feb. 1.
After the halwa ceremony, around 60‑70 officials directly involved in the preparation of the Union Budget 2026 will enter a lock-in period. During this time, they will have no external communication, a move aimed at blocking any possible leak of the sensitive budget-related information.
Although the ministry shifted to Kartavya Bhavan last year, the 2026‑27 Budget will be printed at the North Block press due to logistical constraints at the new building.
Halwa Ceremony Significance
The Budget halwa ceremony is a traditional event usually held a few days before the Union Budget is presented. During the ceremony, the Finance Minister stirs a large pan of halwa, which is then distributed to ministry officials and staff.
The event marks the start of the budget ‘lock-in' period. The lock-in ends only after the Budget speech is delivered in the Parliament. The halwa ceremony is also a gesture of gratitude to the staff for their hard work in preparing the Union Budget. The ceremony also marks a sweet start to the Budget, as in India it is considered auspicious to have sweets before an important event or occasion.
The Budget lock-in period has become shorter since the government moved to paperless budgets in 2021. According to the Press Trust of India, Budget documents are now printed at a dedicated government press in North Block. Previously, they were printed at Rashtrapati Bhavan. However, due to leaks, printing was shifted to Minto Road in 1950 and later to North Block in 1980.
During the lock-in period, all the associated staff are required to stay at the North Block. They will not be allowed to even communicate with their families to ensure the confidentiality of the Union Budget.
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