The Budget Session of Parliament will start on 28 January, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X, while the Union Budget 2026 will be presented on 1 February, which falls on a Sunday, Hindustan Times reported.
The minister provided a detailed schedule for the budget session, noting that, based on the government's recommendation, President Droupadi Murmu has approved summoning both Houses of Parliament for the 2026 budget session.
“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,” Rijiju's post read.
The budget session marks the first session of Parliament in a calendar year, which starts 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.
Discussions over budget 2026 date
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.
Will this be the first budget to be presented on Sunday?
This isn't the first time a Union Budget has been presented on a Sunday, but such occasions are unusual. The last time a budget was presented on a Sunday was 28 February 1999 by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
