Union Budget 2026-27: Why Nirmala Sitharaman Is Tabling the Budget on a Sunday? Know Why ‘Sunday Budget’ Is a First Since Independence
For the first time in independent India's history, the Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday tomorrow, February 1, 2026. This historic shift stems from the 2017 reform that fixed the budget date to February 1 to streamline fiscal implementation. While Saturday presentations occurred in 2015, 2020, and 2025, Sunday remained untouched until this year. Scroll below to know more about "Sunday Budget".
New Delhi, January 31: For the first time in the history of independent India, the Union Budget will be presented on a Sunday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to table the Union Budget 2026-27 tomorrow, February 1, 2026, at 11:00 AM. While the Indian Parliament has occasionally broken tradition to present budgets on Saturdays, a Sunday session for the annual financial statement marks a significant departure from long-standing parliamentary conventions.
A First Since Independence
Historical records indicate that while weekend budget presentations are rare, they are not entirely unprecedented - specifically regarding Saturdays. However, search through the archives of the Republic reveals that no Union Budget has ever been presented on a Sunday before this year. Union Budget 2026 Date, Time, Live Streaming: When and Where to Watch Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget Speech.
For decades, the government strictly followed a schedule that avoided weekends to ensure administrative readiness and market stability. The transition to a Sunday presentation in 2026 is largely a result of the 2017 reform that fixed February 1 as the permanent date for the budget, regardless of which day of the week it falls on.
The Shift to February 1st
Until 2016, the Union Budget was traditionally presented on the last working day of February. This was changed in 2017 under then-Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure that the budgetary process and fund allocations could be completed before the new financial year began on April 1.
Before this reform, the "last working day" rule automatically skipped Sundays. Under the current "fixed date" policy, the government has prioritised procedural discipline over the traditional weekend break.
Weekend Budgets: Saturday Precedents
While Sunday is a new milestone, the Lok Sabha has convened on Saturdays for the budget several times in recent years:
2025: Presented by Nirmala Sitharaman on a Saturday.
2020: Presented by Nirmala Sitharaman on a Saturday.
2015: Presented by Arun Jaitley on a Saturday (February 28).
1999: Presented by Yashwant Sinha on a Saturday (February 27), the same year, the timing was famously shifted from 5:00 PM to 11:00 AM. Union Budget 2026: Consumer and Retail Sector Urges Government for Demand-Led Growth Measures.
Institutional Readiness for 'Sunday Budget' 2026
To accommodate the Sunday presentation, Indian financial institutions have made exceptional adjustments. Both the NSE and BSE will conduct a special live trading session tomorrow to allow markets to react to the Finance Minister's announcements in real-time. This synchronisation ensures that the "Sunday Budget" does not result in a delayed market reaction on Monday, which could otherwise lead to extreme volatility.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2026 04:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).