Budget 2024: Who holds longest budget speech record? 12 interesting facts

Budget 2024: Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first woman to present India's Union Budget for 1970-71. More interesting facts

Published on: Jan 31, 2024, 10:43:43 IST

By HT News Desk

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As Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her sixth budget and first interim budget speech, here are some interesting facts about the budget that you should know:

Budget 2024: The PM Modi government will present its last budget, albeit an interim one, on Thursday.

Read more: Interim Budget 2024: Date, time and where to watch live?

Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was the first woman to present India's Union Budget for 1970-71 as she took on the role following the resignation of then Finance Minister Moraji Desai. Indira Gandhi also earned the title of first female finance minister of India although she only held that post briefly.
Nirmala Sitharaman is the first full-time female Finance Minister of India.
The first Indian Budget was presented on April 7, 1860, by Scottish economist James Wilson from the East India Company.
RK Shanmukham Chetty presented independent India's first Budget on November 26, 1947.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman holds the record for the longest budget speech in 2020, which lasted 2 hours and 42 minutes.
Manmohan Singh's 1991-92 budget speech amounted to 18,650 words, making it the longest in those terms.
In 1977, Finance Minister Hirubhai Mulljibhai Patel delivered the shortest budget speech with only 800 words.
Moraji Desai holds the record for presenting the most number of budgets, presenting 10 during 1962-69- eight were full budgets and two were interim budgets.
Yashwant Sinha, in 1999, shifted the budget presentation timing from 5 pm to 11 am.
Arun Jaitley changed the budget presentation date to February 1, departing from the last working day of February tradition, in 2017.
Until 1955, the Budget was presented in English.
The railway budget, presented separately for 92 years, was merged into the Union Budget in 2017.

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HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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