Budget 2022 will be the Narendra Modi-led BJP government’s 10th presentation since its appointment in 2014.
The budget session of Parliament will begin on January 31 with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to both the Houses, additional secretary-general of ministry of Parliamentary affairs said in a letter.
The first half of the Budget session will go on from January 31 to February 11, with the panel reassembling on March 14th to sit until April 8, subject to government exigencies.
A day ahead of the Budget, on January 31 the Centre is likely to present the Economic Survey in Parliament.
All eyes are on the Budget yet again as the announcement will come amid India’s battle with the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. GDP estimates will be a key number to look forward to.
The country’s annual gross domestic product (GDP) slumped in 2020-21 due to continued lockdowns, leading to FY21 GDP contracting 7.3%.
Growth is expected to witness a V-shaped recovery for FY22, recent data released by the Centre shows, rising to 9.2%. However, the rising number of Omicron variant cases will continue to remain a hinderance.
Last year, the Budget was delivered in a paperless format for the first time by FM Sitharaman, who arrived for the presentation carrying a tablet instead of the traditional ‘bahi-khata’.
The FM also launched the Budget mobile app for ‘hassle-free’ access of budget documents by members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public.
