History in making Independent India's First Ever Paperless Budget

The Finance Ministry has decided to present India’s 2021-22 paperless union budget. It's an historic move as this will be the first time since independence, the budget will be presented without use of paper. The decision came amid a fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The budget 2021-22 will be presented on February 1, 2020 by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

This has to be history in making sure that the Union budget of Independent India will not be printed.

As per reports, the Government has received permission from both the Houses of Parliament for not printing Union Budget.

This historic decision was taken amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic because while printing budget documents several people are required and they have to stay at the printing press for an fortnight.

Usually printing of budget documents takes place at the Finance Ministry’s in-house printing press in the North Block.

The Budget of this financial year 2021-22 may break some conventions as the sources said that the traditional ‘Halwa’ ceremony may not take place in this year's Union budget or a subdued function will be held with limited gathering. Ceremony of the Union budget normally starts around January 20, and it is attended by all the people who are involved in Budget-making and then only printing of budget documents begins.

As the Union budget is a sensitive document and the information in the budget can’t be leaked, before the budget presented in parliament. So, When printing of budget starts, the staff who are a part of printing must have to stay inside the press until the Union budget is presented. Officials with high-ranking are only allowed and that too on the basis of a Special ID Card. The entire printing facility, loading-unloading and transportation are manned by the special security forces.

This is not the first time that the Union budget tradition changed under the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. In previous year's Union budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, did away with a colonial-era tradition of carrying budget documents in a briefcase, and introduced the budget ‘Bahi Khata’ or a ledger, framing under a folder with red cloth and tied with a string.

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