Union Budget 2026–27: FM Sitharaman engages with DSE students

Union Budget 2026: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held a pre-Budget interaction with students of the Delhi School of Economics (DSE), led by its Director Professor Ram Singh, as part of consultations ahead of the Union Budget 2026–27.

During the discussion, students offered a wide range of suggestions covering skilling, green energy, rural development and the emerging new economy, among other areas, for consideration in the upcoming Budget, which is likely to be presented on February 1, IANS reported.

Encouraging student participation in Budget-making

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The interaction followed Sitharaman’s Diamond Jubilee Valedictory Lecture at DSE in November 2025, where she had encouraged students to actively share their ideas for the Union Budget. Emphasising sustained academic engagement, she said such interactions should continue every year, drawing on insights from young economists to help shape the nation’s Budget as India works towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

The pre-Budget meeting was also attended by the Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), underscoring the government’s effort to incorporate academic perspectives into policy discussions.

Also Read: Union Budget 2026 to be presented on this date

Budget session schedule approved by CCPA

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the proposed schedule for the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament. According to an IANS report, the Union Budget 2026–27 is slated to be presented by Finance Minister Sitharaman on February 1, which falls on a Sunday.

If the government formally announces the dates in line with this schedule, it will be the first time the Union Budget is presented in Parliament on a Sunday.

Key dates for budget session

The Budget Session is scheduled to begin on January 28 with the President’s address to a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. This will be followed by the tabling of the Economic Survey on January 29.

As per the proposed calendar, the first part of the Budget Session will run from January 28 to February 13, while the second part is expected to be held between March 9 and April 2.

Also Read: Union Budget 2026–27: PHDCCI proposes loan subsidy, export support to boost MSMEs

February 1 budget tradition and weekend precedent

The practice of presenting the Union Budget on February 1 was introduced in 2017, when the government advanced it from the earlier February 28 date to allow more time for implementation of budgetary proposals and improve fiscal efficiency. Since then, the Budget has been presented at 11 am on February 1. Presenting the Budget on a weekend is not unprecedented. Sitharaman had presented the Union Budget 2025 on a Saturday, while former finance minister late Arun Jaitley presented the Budgets of 2015 and 2016 on February 28, both of which also fell on Saturdays.

Sitharaman set for ninth consecutive Budget

The upcoming Budget will be Sitharaman’s ninth consecutive Union Budget, making it the 88th Budget since India’s Independence. With this, she is set to become the first finance minister to present nine consecutive Union Budgets, placing her close to the record held by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who presented 10 Budgets across two tenures.

Among other finance ministers, P Chidambaram presented nine Budgets, while Pranab Mukherjee presented eight. Sitharaman was appointed India’s first full-time woman finance minister in 2019 and has continued in the role after the Modi-led government secured a third consecutive term in 2024.