President Droupadi Murmu will address both Houses of Parliament on Friday, January 31, marking the start of the Budget session, during which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Union Budget 2025 on February 1.
The Budget session will be conducted in two parts. The first phase will run from January 31 to February 13, while the second phase will take place from March 10 to April 4, 2025.
As per a parliamentary bulletin released on Tuesday, the Rajya Sabha will convene a separate session for government business half an hour after the President’s address. February 3-5 have been tentatively reserved for a discussion on the vote of thanks for the President’s address, which will be proposed by one MP and seconded by another.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju announced on Monday that an all-party meeting is scheduled for January 30 to ensure opposition cooperation and facilitate smooth discussions during the session.
On January 23, Finance Minister Sitharaman participated in the customary Halwa ceremony, signaling the final stage of budget preparation and the start of printing for the Union Budget 2025-26. She will present the Budget in Parliament on February 1 at 11 a.m.
This will be Sitharaman’s eighth consecutive Union Budget presentation, making her the first finance minister to achieve this milestone.
A report by the Bank of Baroda outlined expectations for the Budget, stating, “The Union Budget for fiscal year 2025-26 will skillfully balance fiscal consolidation with growth-oriented measures. We expect the government to meet or even surpass its fiscal deficit target of 4.9% of GDP, due to anticipated savings on the expenditure side.”
