Interesting facts about the Budget every Indian should know

• MORARJI DESAI HOLDS THE RECORD OF PRESENTING THE MOST BUDGETS, AT 10

• INDIRA GANDHI IS THE ONLY WOMAN TO HAVE PRESENTED INDIA'S UNION BUDGET

• R K SHANMUKHAM CHETTY PRESENTED INDIA'S FIRST BUDGET ON NOVEMBER 26, 1947

• A CUSTOMARY HALWA CEREMONY IS PERFORMED 10-12 DAYS AHEAD OF THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR

• MORARJI DESAI IS THE ONLY FINANCE MINISTER TO PRESENT A BUDGET ON HIS BIRTHDAY ON FEB 29, 1964 AND 1968

• IN 1997-98, WHEN I K GUJRAL'S GOVT WAS ON ITS WAY OUT, THE BUDGET WAS PASSED WITHOUT DEBATE

• P CHIDAMBARAM'S 1997-98 BUDGET WAS TERMED AS DREAM BUDGET FOR LOWERING TAX RATES

• YASHWANT SINHA CHANGED THE TIMING OF BUDGET PRESENTATION TO 11AM FROM 5PM IN 1999

• BUDGET WAS PRESENTED ON THE LAST WORKING DAY OF FEB UNTIL 2016, BUT JAITLEY CHANGED IT TO FEB 1 IN 2017

• IN 2017, THE RAILWAY BUDGET WAS PRESENTED WITH THE UNION BUDGET BREAKING A 92-YEAR-OLD PRACTICE

Will be unconstitutional for govt to present full Budget: Yashwant Sinha

Interim Budget 2019:

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha it would be "entirely improper and unconstitutional" if the Modi government presents a full budget ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, as he asked it to stick to the convention of outgoing dispensations presenting an interim budget.

A strong critic of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government, Sinha also accused it of "dressing up" economic figures despite the country facing an "unprecedented" agrarian distress, employment not picking up and the huge non-performing asset (NPA) problem being not tackled the way it should have been.

Interacting with reporters at an event in Indian Women's Press Corps, he said Priyanka Gandhi's entry into active politics will have a positive impact and strengthen the Congress.
Taking a swipe at the government over present economic conditions, he said it would now claim by "tweaking" figures ahead of the general election that "river of milk" is flowing in the country and people were never happier.

Amid speculation that the government may present a full budget on February 1, Sinha said there is no precedence of an outgoing government doing so.


 "It would be entirely improper and unconstitutional on the part of this government to present a full budget," he said, adding that it should neither table the economy survey, which is generally presented a day before the budget is tabled, not present the Finance Bill.