Made in India tablet replaces 'bahi khata' as Finance Minister prepares for first paperless Budget
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reached the Parliament this morning with a Made in India tablet that houses the digital copies of Budget 2021 documents.
Union Budget 2021-22 is set to be like none other. For the first time in history, India will see a paperless Budget in the aftermath of an infectious disease pandemic.
This morning, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made her way to the Parliament, a 'Made in India' tablet wrapped in a velvety red cloth in tow — a contrast to the traditional 'bahi khata' (ledger wrapped in a red cloth) that she'd been carrying in the past two years.
In her first year as FM, Sitharaman broke away from the Budget 'briefcase' with the bahi khata to honour age-old practices. Two years on, she's gearing up to deliver the country's first 'digital' Budget.
Surely, the significance of a 'Made in India' device is not lost.
Sitharaman made a strong statement in favour of homegrown tech innovation and honoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which led to the government stepping up focus and funds on Made in India brands.
Nirmala Sitharaman outside the Parliament before the Budget session
In the run-up to Budget 2021, the Ministry of Finance had launched the Union Budget mobile app that can be downloaded from the app stores.
The app will provide easy and hassle-free access to all Budget 2021-related information and documents to key stakeholders, MPs, media, and the general public.
Calling it the "simplest form of digital convenience", the Finance Ministry stated,
"The mobile app facilitates complete access to 14 Union Budget documents, including the Annual Financial Statement (commonly known as Budget), Demand for Grants (DG), Finance Bill etc., as prescribed by the Constitution."
The app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).
It can also be downloaded from the Union Budget Web Portal.
All the aforementioned Budget documents will be available on the app after the completion of the FM's speech in the Parliament this afternoon.
Here's all you need to know about the Budget app.
For YourStory's multimedia coverage of Budget 2021, visit YourStory's Budget 2021 page or budget.yourstory.com
