Budget 2021: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Breaks Tradition, Carries ‘Made in India’ Tablet Instead of Bahi-Khata

For the first time in independent India, the Budget 2021 is going to be completely paperless due to the coronavirus pandemic.

New Delhi: Traditions change over time and the same is going to be witnessed in today’s crucial Union Budget 2021. In 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke an age-old tradition of carrying a briefcase to Parliament for the Union Budget presentation. Instead, she carried a ‘bahi khata’. Moving forward with time, Sitharaman on Monday, yet again ditched the traditional Swadeshi bahi-khata and switched to a tablet.

With the Union Budget set to be in paperless form due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Finance Minister was seen carrying a Made in India tablet, kept inside a red-coloured cover with a golden coloured national emblem embossed on it.

Dressed in a red and cream-coloured saree, accompanied by MoS Finance Anurag Thakur and other officials, Sitharaman is scheduled to meet President Ram Nath Kovind before presenting the budget at 11 am today.

Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present and read out the #UnionBudget 2021-22 at the Parliament through a tab, instead of the traditional 'bahi khata'. pic.twitter.com/Ir5qZYz2gy

— ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2021

This year, the Union Budget will be delivered in paperless form for the first time. The budget 2021 assumes greater significance as it comes amid the COVID pandemic which has caused economic disruption.

Sitharaman had earlier this month stated that the budget for the fiscal year beginning April will be “like never before”. As India emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, the ninth budget under the Modi government, including an interim one, is widely expected to focus on boosting spending on job creation and rural development, generous allocations for development schemes, putting more money in the hands of the average taxpayer and easing rules to attract foreign investments.

Finance Minister had launched the “Union Budget Mobile App” for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public using the simplest form of digital convenience, according to the Finance Ministry.

Before Sitharaman, a long-standing tradition in connection with the budget presentation was broken during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government with the then Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presenting the budget at 11 am rather than at the traditional time of 5 pm.

Since then all governments have been presenting the budget at 11 am.

(With Agency inputs)