The Union Budget for the financial year 2026–27 will be presented on Sunday, February 1, 2026, marking the first time in over two decades that the budget will be tabled on a Sunday. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the budget in the Lok Sabha at 11 AM. The decision was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Wednesday. Reports suggest that the stock markets may also remain open on that day.
Budget on a Sunday after 26 years
Since 2017, the Union Budget has been presented on February 1, moving away from the earlier practice of tabling it at the end of February. With February 1 falling on a Sunday this year, there was speculation that the date might be changed. However, the government confirmed that Sitharaman will present her eighth budget on the same day. The last time a budget was presented on a Sunday was in 1999, when Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha tabled it during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
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Parliament session schedule
The budget session of Parliament will begin on January 28. On the first day, President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both Houses in the Central Hall, attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Cabinet ministers. The Economic Survey will be presented the following day.
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Political observers note that Sunday sittings of Parliament are rare, apart from exceptional cases such as during the COVID-19 period in 2020 and a special session held in May 2012 to mark 60 years of Parliament's first sitting.
