Count-Down Begins: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to present Union Budget 2021 today at 11 am

The Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget 2021 today at 11:00 am in Parliament. The budget comes at a time when India is battling the coronavirus pandemic and the economy is reeling under the aftereffects of the lockdown.

The ninth consecutive annual budget presented before India by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government comes at a time when the nation is facing a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

As per the finance ministry, more than 170 invitees representing 9 stakeholder groups participated in 15 Pre-Budget consultation meetings scheduled between December 14 to 23.

The traditions change over time and the same is going to be witnessed in today’s crucial Union Budget 2021.

In 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman broke an age-old tradition of carrying a briefcase to Parliament for the Union Budget presentation. Instead, she carried a ‘bahi khata’. And today, moving forward with time, Sitharaman has yet again ditched the traditional bahi-khata and was seen holding a Made in India tablet.

It is important to note that the country's economy found itself caught up in a recessionary phase owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown.

In 2020, FM Nirmala Sitharaman speech set a new recordfor the longest Union Budget speech. The speech was around two hours and 17 minutes long.

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