Times when the Union Budget was leaked before being tabled

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the union budget 2025 on February 1.

The Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26 is set to be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, 2025. This will be the second time Nirmala Sitharaman will be presenting a full-fledged budget under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term. She has presented six annual and two interim budgets under the NDA-led government.

The Union Budget is undoubtedly the most sensitive documents of the country, which has the country's debt and expenditures in detail. Although, India has maintained a clean track record of confidentiality with the budget, there were two times when the budget was leaked, according to several news reports.

The first Budget leak - 1947

The first budget was leaked when India had just attained independence from British Raj in August 1947, and then Prime Minster Jawaharlal Nehru had given Sir RK Shanmukham Chetty to present the budget.

He was ready to give India it's first budget for a seven month period on 26 November 1947. But before Chetty could present the budget at 5pm this was because politicians and officials wanted their counterparts in Britain to follow the details comfortably — it had been leaked, reported Firstpost.

But how did it leak? According to a report by The Gurdian, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Hugh Dalton told a journalist about the changes in taxes proposed in the Budget. When Dalton was on his way to the Commons chamber, he met with the Daily Star’s John Carvel and said, “No more on tobacco; a penny on beer; something on dogs and pools but not on horses; increase in purchase tax, but only on articles now taxable; profits tax doubled.”

This hit the streets in about 20 minutes, causing a huge uproar. Dalton eventually apologised and resigned from his post.

The second leak - 1950

Three years later, the budget was leaked again. This time around, it happened when the budget papers were being printed at theBhavan, the official residence of the President of India. The budget used to get printed at the same press and confidentially was never breached.

However, during the tenure of John Matthai serving as the second finance minster, the budget papers were leaked while at the press. Matthai had been accused of serving the interests of powerful people after which he resigned, reported News18.

Following this leak, the printing of the budget was then shifted out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and moved to a government press on Minot road. In 1980, the printing of the budget was shifted to the North Block's basement of the Secretariat building.

Safeguarding the budget

Today, to keep the budget safe, the security has been enhanced. It is kept a secret until the papers arrive at Parliament and the finance minister of the country reads out the budget speech.

Officials who are involved in budget preparation are placed under a strict lock-in period, in which they are strictly isolated from the outside word, including their family and friends, to safeguard secrecy. They are prohibited from using phones and are only allowed to leave once the finance minister has finished presenting the Union Budget in parliament.

The budget which is now digitised, the number of printed copies has drastically reduced, further minimising the risk of leaks. Copies are only shared with the President, the Vice President, the Cabinet, and the copy to be tabled in Parliament. Additionally, call records, visitor logs, and staff movements are rigorously monitored to ensure no information is compromised.