At 11 am, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will unveil the final budget of the second term of the Narendra Modi government. Sitharaman, the first woman to hold the finance portfolio on a full-time basis, will become only the second finance minister to present six consecutive budgets; as finance minister, ex-prime minister Morarji Desai too delivered six straight budgets.
Desai tabled five full budgets and an interim one. Till now, Sitharaman too has delivered five full budgets, while Thursday’s is an interim one.
Where to watch FM Sitharaman’s speech?
Her speech can be viewed live on the YouTube channels of Doordarshan, Press Information Bureau (PIB), and Sansad TV. You can also follow live updates on Hindustan Times’ blog.
Additionally, all eyes will be on the duration of the finance minister’s address. At 162 minutes, Sitharaman’s 2020 budget speech is the longest-ever in history.
Why is it an ‘interim’ budget?
The budget is for financial year (FY) 2024-25. It will, however, be ‘interim’ as the government faces a general election this year, in April-May. A full budget for FY24-25 will be tabled in July by the incoming government, whether a new administration or a re-elected one.
A financial year begins on April 1, and concludes on March 31 the following year.
