Traditional briefcase to tablet: How Budget Presentation in India changed over the years

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to present the Union Budget 2022 in the Parliament today. There is a lot of expectations out there from taxpayers, with working-class looking for some tax slab beneficial change or business sectors awaiting for some investment push. With this, Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting her fourth Union Budget in Parliament.

This will also be the second paperless budget in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. From bahi-khata which she used for her maiden Budget presentation to the modern tablet she adopted last year to present the first digital 'paperless' Budget, here we discuss the transition of Budget presentation.

The word 'Budget' has its origin in the French word Bougette, which means leather briefcase. The word 'Budget is derived from the Middle English word 'bowgette', which came from 'bougette' which means a leather bag in French. Traditionally, Budget documents, including papers related to revenue receipt and expenditure as well as the speech of the finance minister were carried in a brown briefcase. 

The first Budget was introduced in India on April 7, 1860 by East India Company. James Wilson, the financial member of Indian Council that advised the Indian Viceroy, presented the Budget designed on an English framework for the first time.

Change in Budget presentations

2021

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman embraced the digital age and presented the Union Budget in 2021 through a tablet. 

The tablet was seen wrapped inside a red tablet sleeve with the emblem on top as she pose with it before the Budget presentation.

This was the first move towards paperless Budget and also a step towards saving paper and getting in sync with the digital boom.

2020

In 2020, Nirmala Sitharaman said goodbye to the traditional Budget briefcase and replaced it with bahi khata, or the ledger book.

She was clicked with the red bahi khata bearing the emblem on top. Bahi khata has a deep connection with the Indian business class.

2019

Nirmala Sitharaman presented her maiden budget in 2019 where she broke away from long-standing colonial-era traditions.

Instead of carrying Budget documents in a briefcase she opted for traditional bahi khata (kind of ledger) wrapped in a red coloured cloth. 

That definitely saw the bidding adieu of the traditional briefcase. 'We are not a suitcase-carrying government', she had remarked.