Both Houses of Parliament — the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha — were adjourned on the afternoon of January 29 and will reconvene on February 1 at 11 am, when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to present the Union Budget 2026. Notably, this year’s Budget presentation will take place over the weekend.
Earlier in the day, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2025–26 along with its Statistical Appendix in both Houses, formally setting the Budget process in motion. Prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs under the supervision of the Chief Economic Adviser, the Survey reviews the state of the economy in 2025–26 and offers projections for the coming financial year.
The Budget Session, which began a day earlier, witnessed Question Hour followed by the laying of official papers by various Union Ministers. Sitharaman tabled documents related to the Ministry of Finance, while Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu presented the Annual Report of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India for 2024–25, along with its audited accounts, in the Lok Sabha.
During the proceedings, Parliament also laid eight Bills passed during the Sixth Session of the 18th Lok Sabha that have since received Presidential assent. In addition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh presented the 13th Report of the Business Advisory Committee.
Political reactions ahead of the Budget were evident across party lines. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the start of the session, described India as a “self-confident nation” and a “ray of hope for the world,” while noting that the President’s Address reflected the aspirations of 140 crore citizens. Meanwhile, Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Jebi Mather and Karnataka Minister M.C. Sudhakar, flagged concerns over issues such as MNREGA allocations and unmet expectations from previous Budgets.
With the Economic Survey now on the table, debate is expected to pick up pace when Parliament meets again on February 1 for the presentation of the Union Budget 2026.