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President Droupadi Murmu offers 'dahi-cheeni' to FM Nirmala Sitharaman before presenting Budget 2026
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present Union Budget 2026 today, February 1. This will be her ninth consecutive budget speech.
All eyes are on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as she will present Union Budget 2026 today, February 1. This will be her ninth consecutive budget speech under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per the latest update on news agency ANI, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday offered 'dahi-cheeni' (curd and sugar) to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she arrived at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
President Droupadi Murmu offers 'dahi-cheeni'
The 'dahi-cheeni' ritual is carried out by the President, as it is considered an auspicious way to begin the day. This customary good-luck gesture was made during the Finance Minister's meeting with President Murmu at Rashtrapti Bhavan. The Finance Minister was seen discussing the contours of the Budget proposals with the President.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman posed for photographs with her Budget team outside her office at Kartavya Bhavan. Dressed in a magenta silk saree, she was seen carrying a tablet enclosed in a red pouch bearing the national emblem, alongside Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and the six secretaries of the finance ministry.
After meeting the President, Sitharaman proceeded to a Cabinet meeting, where the Union Budget for 2026-27 received formal approval. She continues the tradition she introduced in 2019 by carrying the Budget speech in a ‘bahi-khata’ style pouch, replacing the earlier briefcase custom. MoS Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Economic Advisor Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Ravi Agrawal and other officials of the Finance Ministry were seen accompanying the Finance Minister.
What time will Budget’s speech start
According to the Lok Sabha List of Business, the House will meet at 11 am. Sitharaman will present a statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Government of India for 2026-27. The FM is scheduled to begin her Union Budget 2026 speech in the Lok Sabha at 11 am on Sunday.
She will also lay on the table two statements mandated under Section 3(1) of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act, 2003. These include the Medium-term Fiscal Policy-cum-Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement and the Macro-economic Framework Statement.
Sitharaman, who took charge of the finance ministry on May 31, 2019, will become the longest-serving finance minister to hold the post continuously. She completed six years and eight months in office on January 31, 2026, and Sunday’s presentation will mark her record ninth Budget in a row.
