Daily Current Affairs Article 25th January 2021: The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget making process for Union Budget 2021-22, was held in Delhi's North Block in the presence of Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the “lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins.
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The tradition, which goes back several years, involves preparing the ‘halwa’ sweet dish in a big ‘kadhai’ (large frying pot) and serving it to the entire staff in the ministry.
After Halwa is served, the officials and support staff, who are directly associated with the Budget making and printing process, are required to stay in the Budget Press (situated inside North Block) and remain cut off from their families until the presentation of the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha.
The “lock-in” which follows the ‘halwa ceremony’ is observed to maintain the secrecy of the Budget preparation process.
