Representative image for Union Budget 2025
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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget on February 1. In light of the upcoming Budget, we take a look at some trivia.
The senior BJP leader, who has been holding the plum finance portfolio since 2019, has till date presented seven consecutive budgets along with one interim Budget in February 2024.
The 65-year-old also holds the unique record for delivering the longest budget speech when she spoke for 2hrs and 42mins, while presenting the Union Budget for the 2020-21 financial year on February 1, 2020.
Now as Sitharaman is set to present her eighth budget, industry experts and laymen are wondering as to whether the current finance minister will set a new record in terms of presenting the most number of budgets. But the answer is an emphatic ‘no’.
So, who is it?
That record goes to Morarji Desai, the first non-Congress Prime Minister independent India had produced. For the record, Desai has presented the Union Budget 10 times. Morarji held the finance portfolio under both Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi’s regimes. He also briefly held the portfolio when he himself had become the Prime Minister.
And for those wondering if Sitharaman comes second, then you have got it completely wrong. The list includes some of the heavyweights and financial experts like like P Chidambaram (9), Pranab Mukherjee (8) and Yashwant Sinha (8).
Union Budget 2025 | Nirmala Sitharaman, who continues to be Finance Minister, will present her record 8th Union Budget this time. While inflation has burnt a hole in the pockets of 'aam janata', reports suggest there might be a tax relief for those making up to Rs 15 lakh per year. Track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analysis only on Deccan Herald. Also follow us on WhatsApp, LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.