Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met with Finance Ministers of States and Union Territories in New Delhi, during the Pre-Budget meeting on 10 January.
“The Session will commence on 28 January 2026 and continue till 2 April 2026. The first phase concludes on 13 February 2026, with Parliament reassembling on 9 March 2026, a vital step towards meaningful debate and people-centric governance,” Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on 9 January, giving details of the timeline on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, the date is not officially confirmed, but PTI cited sources to report that Sitharaman will likely present the Budget document in Parliament on 1 February, despite it being a Sunday.
What is the Budget Session?
During a calendar year, the Budget Session marks the first session of Parliament. It begins with the President’s address to the joint sitting of the two Houses.
The parliamentary session usually consists of two parts, with a break in between to enable standing committees to review the demands for grants from various ministries.
Similar to the Winter Session of Parliament, the Budget Session is also expected to feature a range of legislation being introduced or discussed.
When will Union Budget 2026 be presented?
Uncertainty arose over the 1 February presentation, as the Budget date fell on a weekend, sparking discussions about whether it would be rescheduled for Monday, 2 February 2026.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present the Union Budget on Sunday, PTI earlier reported, citing people aware of the development.
“We have a fixed day for the presentation of the general budget. The concept of Sunday was brought by the British,” they told the news agency.
However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju then said that the exact date will be decided by the Cabinet Committee. “These decisions are taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs at an appropriate time,” the agency quoted the minister as saying.
Budget presentation on Sunday: What’s the precedence?
While an unusual practice, this will not be the first time a Union Budget presentation has been conducted on a Sunday. Prior to this, Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has presented a budget on a Sunday (28 February 1999).
