Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her ninth Union Budget on February 1, and all eyes are on the policies, welfare schemes, and taxes for the upcoming fiscal year.
Behind all the numbers and announcements lies a story that dates back more than seven decades.
The Budget is always prepared under high secrecy, and the people working on it do so alone in secure offices, with no mobile phones or any devices allowed.
Different ministries, state governments, Union Territories, and various departments first prepare their estimates and proposals. Only after the Prime Minister gives approval does the Budget go to print.
The need for such strict security grew after the Budget was leaked in 1950. Since then, extra precautions have been taken to make sure the details remain confidential until the official announcement.
Why the Budget Printing moved to Minto Road
In 1950, India faced one of its first major Budget leaks. Some of the pages of the Budget were leaked and sensitive information reached the public well ahead of the official presentation.
Initially, they were being printed at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President's official residence. To prevent such incidents in the future, the authorities moved Budget printing to a secure government press on Minto Road in Delhi. Since then, all Budget documents have been printed under strict security.
Later, in 1980, the government decided to make Budget printing even more secure and efficient by shifting the printing from Minto Road to the basement of the North Block in the Secretariat Building in New Delhi.
2026 Union Budget printing
The printing of highly confidential Budget documents will continue at the press located at the old seat, North Block, on Raisina Hill.
