What is Halwa Ceremony, why is the event held in the presence of the Finance Minister before the budget?

New Delhi| A halwa ceremony is organized by the Finance Ministry just before the presentation of the Union Budget. Through the Halwa ceremony, it is indicated that the budget has been finalized and its printing work has started. Halwa Ceremony is being organized today before the Union Budget 2025. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26 on 01 February 2025.

Halwa ceremony before the budget is organized in North Block in the presence of the Union Finance Minister. There is a tradition of holding the budget before the “lock-in” process of preparing it begins. Halwa ceremony is organized in North Block in the final phase of the budget preparation process for the Union Budget. Last year also the Halwa ceremony was organized in North Block in the presence of Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Why is ‘Halwa ceremony’ held before the presentation of the budget?
A halwa ceremony is organized by the Finance Ministry just before the presentation of the Union Budget. Through the Halwa ceremony, it is indicated that the budget has been finalized and its printing work has started. In this function, gratitude is expressed to the officers and employees who prepare the budget in large numbers. In fact, all the officers of the Budget Department of the Finance Ministry who are engaged in the work of making the budget are not allowed to contact their families until the budget is presented in the Parliament. In such a situation, considering their hard work, the government organizes Halwa ceremony to express gratitude towards them.

How is Halwa Ceremony celebrated?
Halwa Ceremony is a traditional event which has been celebrated before the printing of the budget. It is said that after the end of the long-running budget making process, the printing of the budget is formally flagged off by eating sweets. The Finance Minister gives the green signal for printing the budget by touching the pan in which halwa is prepared and serving halwa to the officials. The ceremony takes place in the basement of the North Block of the Ministry of Finance. There is a special printing press for printing the budget.

Why is complete confidentiality maintained while preparing the budget?
Before the presentation of the budget in Parliament, the officials and employees of the Finance Ministry associated with the budget stay in the basement of North Block for a few days. Where complete confidentiality is maintained. According to the claims, the Intelligence Bureau keeps a round-the-clock surveillance on the officers and employees of the ministry, they are not even allowed to contact their loved ones. They are not even allowed to call. They are kept cut off from external contact through a strong network of CCTVs and jammers. The printing of the budget document is reported to have taken place at Rashtrapati Bhavan until 1950 but after the budget was leaked in the same year it was shifted to the basement of Minto Road and later North Block. After that the budget started being printed permanently in this printing press.