New Delhi: The countdown has begun for the presentation of 'Union Budget 2026', the compass of the Indian economy. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is likely to present the budget on February 1. Interestingly, since February 1 falls on a Sunday this year, there is much curiosity surrounding the schedule. This will be her 9th consecutive budget presentation, marking several new records.
Nirmala Sitharaman’s New Milestone:
* 9th Consecutive Budget: Having already presented eight budgets (including the 2024 Interim Budget), Nirmala Sitharaman will present her 9th consecutive budget this time.
* Record Under a Single PM: She will become the first Finance Minister to present nine consecutive budgets under the tenure of a single Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).
* Closing in on Morarji Desai’s Record: Former PM Morarji Desai holds the record for the highest number of budget presentations with 10. With this budget, Nirmala Sitharaman will equal P. Chidambaram’s record of 9 budget presentations.
Major Changes in Budget History:
1. Change in Date: Previously, the budget was presented on February 28. However, from 2017 onwards, the date was shifted to February 1 to ensure the speedy implementation of schemes.
2. Change in Timing: Since the British era, the budget was presented at 5:00 PM. In 1999, during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government, Yashwant Sinha changed the timing to 11:00 AM.
Who Leads in Budget Presentations?
| Minister's Name | Total Number of Budgets |
| Morarji Desai | 10 |
| P. Chidambaram | 9 |
| Nirmala Sitharaman | 8 (9th to be presented this time) |
| Pranab Mukherjee | 8 |
| Yashwant Sinha | 7 |
Speech Records:
* Longest Speech: In 2020, Nirmala Sitharaman set a record by delivering a budget speech that lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes.
* Shortest Speech: In 1977, Hirubhai Mulljibhai Patel’s speech was limited to just 800 words.
What are the expectations?
Budget 2026 is expected to focus significantly on the rising cost of living, reforms in personal income tax, and savings for the middle class.