Union Budget to be presented on February 1st amid COVID-19 pandemic

The Union budget will be presented in the parliament on February 1, 2021. President Ram Nath Kovind will address both the Houses of the Parliament- Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on January 29, 2021. 

The budget session of the parliament will be conducted in two parts. The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi announced that the first phase of the budget session will begin on January 29 and conclude on February 15.

The President's address will be delivered on January 29 along with the discussion on it and the Union Budget will be presented on February 1, 2021. The second phase will be held from March 8 to April 8. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs or CCPA.

Key Highlights

•All important or emergency bills or ordinances will be taken up in the first phase of the budget session. 

•There will be a question and zero hour as well in the budget session and the rest will be at the discretion of the Speaker. 

•While the first phase of budget session will be convened from January 29-February 15, the second phase of the budget session will be from March 8 to April 8.

•During the second phase of the session, grants will be discussed as well as the finance bill. 

•The second phase of the budget session will hopefully be longer, according to the parliamentary affairs minister.

•The centre had planned to hold the parliamentary session slightly longer last time as well but it had to be curtailed due to the pandemic. This time the centre aims to hold the session like it used to be. 

•All COVID-19 protocols will be followed while convening the session. 

The Parliamentary Affairs Minister stated that there is no plan to get the MPs vaccinated, as the government has clarified that the vaccine will be given to the frontline workers first. 

Background

The central government had cancelled the winter session of the Parliament, which generally begins in the last week of November, because of the coronavirus pandemic. All political parties were in favour of scrapping of the session to avoid spread of the virus.