Since 2017, the Union Budget has been presented on February 1 each year. In 2026, February 1 falls on a Sunday, raising the likelihood of the budget being tabled on a weekend. Officials noted that the fixed date was adopted to ensure that the Budget is approved well in advance of the new financial year, which begins on April 1.

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said no final decision has yet been taken. Responding to queries on the issue, he said such matters are decided by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs at an appropriate time.

An official explained that the date for presenting the General Budget is now institutionalised, and the idea of parliamentary business being conducted on a Sunday has historical roots. "We have a fixed day for the presentation of the General Budget. The concept of Sunday sittings was originally introduced during the British period," the official said, PTI quoted.

Before 2017, the Union Budget was traditionally presented on the last working day of February. Under that system, Parliament would pass a vote on account to allow the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund of India to meet expenditure for the first few months of the new fiscal year. Detailed scrutiny of demands for grants by parliamentary standing committees would follow, and the full Budget would be approved later.

This practice changed in 2017 when then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley advanced the Budget presentation to February 1. The move enabled Parliament to complete the budgetary process by the end of March, allowing ministries and departments to begin spending from April 1 without interruption.

Parliament has, on several occasions, met on Sundays under special circumstances. These include sittings during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and a special session on May 13, 2012, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first sitting of Parliament.

-With PTI inputs

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