Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman carries red ‘digital bahi-khata’ ahead of Budget 2026

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday once again underscored the governmentrsquos blend of tradition and technology by carrying the Union Budget documents on a digital tablet kept inside a red lsquobahikhatarsquostyle pouchThe move continues the paperless Budget practice introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modiled government In 2019 Sitharaman had replaced the traditional leather briefcasemdashan inheritance from the British eramdashwith the indigenous bahikhata Two years later in 2021 she shifted to a digital tablet to carry the Budget papers reinforcing a modern and environmentfriendly approachThe upcoming Budget presentation will be her ninth consecutive Budget as Finance MinisterThe bahikhata a red pouch holding the digital tablet containing the Budget documents is adorned with the golden national emblem It symbolises a clear departure from the colonialera briefcase tradition that originated in 18thcentury Britain and was followed in India for decadesBy adopting the bahikhata the Finance Minister sought to move away from colonial symbols and embrace an element rooted in Indian culture After presenting her first Budget in 2019 Sitharaman had said it was time to shed the ldquoBritish hangoverrdquo and opt for an indigenous alternative She had also noted that the bahikhata was easier and more convenient to carryMeanwhile after presenting the Union Budget 2026ndash27 in Parliament at 11 am Sitharaman will interact with around 30 college students from different parts of the countryAs part of the initiative the students will witness the live Budget presentation from the Lok Sabha Gallery giving them an opportunity to observe one of the most significant parliamentary proceedings of the year according to an official statementThe students have been selected from diverse academic streams including commerce economics medical education and vocational courses and represent various states across India They will also visit the Ministry of Finance at Kartavya Bhawan1 and interact with senior officials to gain insights into its functioning policy formulation processes and the role of institutions in nationbuildingSitharaman creates history with 9th consecutive Budget becomes longestserving FMFinance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday created history by presenting a record ninth consecutive Union Budget the longest streak by any Finance Minister The Budget is expected to outline measures to sustain economic growth maintain fiscal discipline and introduce reforms aimed at cushioning the economy against global trade headwinds including US tariffsWith this Sitharaman moves closer to the record of 10 Budgets presented by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai across different tenures Desai had presented six Budgets during his term as finance minister between 1959 and 1964 and four more between 1967 and 1969Former finance ministers P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee had presented nine and eight Budgets respectively under different prime ministersHowever Sitharaman holds the distinction of presenting the highest number of Budgets consecutivelymdashnine in a rowmdashunder Prime Minister Narendra ModiShe was appointed Indiarsquos first fulltime woman finance minister in 2019 after Modi secured a decisive second term Following the Bharatiya Janata Party BJPled National Democratic Alliancersquos NDArsquos return to power in 2024 for a third term Sitharaman retained the crucial finance portfolioTaking charge of the Finance Ministry on May 31 2019 Sitharaman has steered the economy through the Covid19 pandemic and periods of geopolitical uncertainty during which India emerged as the fastestgrowing major economy in the worldWith IANS and PTI inputs