New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu is scheduled to address both houses of Parliament on Friday, January 31, 2025, marking the commencement of the Budget session. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union Budget 2025 on February 1.
The Budget session will be divided into two parts. The first part will run from January 31 to February 13, while the second part will take place from March 10 to April 4, 2025. Following the President’s address, the Rajya Sabha will convene a separate session for government business.
Parliament has allocated February 3-5 for discussions on the vote of thanks for the President’s address. This motion will be proposed and seconded by members of Parliament.
In anticipation of the session, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced an all-party meeting scheduled for January 30. This meeting aims to secure the cooperation of opposition leaders and facilitate smooth deliberations during the session.
The customary Halwa ceremony, signifying the finalisation of the budget preparation and printing process, took place on January 23 with Finance Minister Sitharaman in attendance. The budget presentation is slated for 11 am on February 1. This will be Sitharaman’s eighth consecutive budget presentation.
A report by the Bank of Baroda anticipates that Budget 2025-26 will prioritise a balance between fiscal consolidation and growth-oriented measures. “For the fiscal year 2025-26, Union budget will skilfully balance fiscal consolidation, and measures for advancing growth. We expect the centre to achieve or maybe even undershoot its fiscal deficit target of 4.9 per cent (per cent of GDP), owing to expected savings on the expenditure side.”
