February 1 or 2, which date Union Budget 2026 will be presented? What’s the confusion?

Since 2017, February 1st has been chosen as the date for presenting the budget.

New Delhi: India’s General Budget is presented by the finance minister every year on February 1st. This tradition has been followed since 2017. Before that, the budget was presented on the last day of February. But this time, February 1, 2026, falls on a Sunday. Because of this, many people are wondering whether the 2026 budget will be presented on the same day or the next day, Monday, February 2nd?

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Will Present The 2026-27 Budget

According to news agency PTI, if parliamentary traditions are followed, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the 2026-27 general budget on Sunday itself. When Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was asked about this, he said that these decisions are taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs at the appropriate time.

1st or 2nd February, On What Date Will The Budget Be Presented?

According to a CNBC-TV18 report, the government wants to present the budget on February 1st itself. This report, citing sources, says that budget preparations are underway according to the scheduled date of February 1st. Usually, the budget is presented on February 1st every year. On the other hand, there are also speculations that the budget might be presented on February 2nd. However, the official dates for the budget session of Parliament are yet to be announced. Only then will it be decided on which day the budget will be presented.

Budgets have been presented on weekends before. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the budget on a Saturday in 2025. Former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also presented the budget on February 28, a Saturday, in 2015 and 2016, on a Sunday. 2016 was a leap year.

Why On February 1st?

Since 2017, February 1st has been chosen as the date for presenting the budget. The aim was to allow Parliament to approve the budget before the start of the new financial year, i.e., by the end of March, so that the budget could be implemented from April 1st, the first day of the new financial year.

In 2017, the then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley initiated the practice of presenting the Union Budget on February 1st. Before 2017, the Union Budget was presented on the last day of February. At that time, Parliament had to vote on a ‘Vote on Account’ to cover the expenses of the first quarter of the new financial year, so that money could be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund of India.