The Union Budget App, launched in 2021, is developed by the government’s National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA)
Not only will Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman present a paperless budget for the fiscal year 2023-2024 in the Parliament on February 1, right after she is finished, it will also be available the Union Budget mobile application, for Android and iOS users. This will be the fifth time Sitharaman will present the Union Budget, slated to come into force from April 1.
On Wednesday morning, Sitharaman was seen holding a digital tablet wrapped in a traditional ‘bahi-khata’ style pouch as she headed for Parliament to present the Budget in a paperless format.
Read More: Union Budget 2023 today: What to expect from Nirmala Sitharaman | Top points
Earlier, finance ministers in different governments, including her predecessors in the Modi government – Arun Jaitley and Piyush Goyal- used the standard Budget briefcase.
A paperless budget is now a common sight in the Parliament from the past fiscal years – 2021 and 2022. “Like the previous two Union Budgets, Union Budget 2023-24 will also be delivered in paperless form. The Union Budget is to be presented on 1st February, 2023,” the ministry said on Twitter.
The government opted to present the budget digitally in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and also to encourage eco-friendly options.
WHAT IS THE UNION BUDGET APP FOR ANDROID, IOS USERS?
The app, launched in 2021, is developed by the government’s National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).
The entire budget document will be released on the mobile application named “Union Budget Mobile App” for the public. The Budget application have additional sections like budget highlights, annual financial statements, budget speech, budget at a glance, and more.
The application is free to download on Google Play and Apple App Store. The Budget app will get updated after the Finance Minister completes her presentation. The users will be able to download the links.
HISTORY OF UNION BUDGET, FROM PAPER TO PAPERLESS
The first Union Budget was presented in India on November 26, 1947. It has seen several changes in its presentation, the primary being its switch to becoming paperless, two years ago in 2021. According to Article 112 of the Indian Constitution, the Union Budget is also known as the Annual Financial Statement.
Other aspects of the software, such as “Key to Budget,” which effectively teaches how to understand the Union Budget, are also available. Budget terms like the Annual Financial Statement, Demand for Grants, Receipt Budget, Expenditure Profile, and others are explained in this section.
