As India’s Parliament gears up for its crucial Budget Session, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla described the President’s opening address as a guiding light for the country, transcending customary formalities.
In a post on X ahead of President Droupadi Murmu’s 11 AM address to both Houses, Birla wrote: ‘More than tradition, this speech delivers vital guidance to the entire nation. It clarifies directions for upcoming policies, decisions, and initiatives, presenting the essence of our development path ahead.’
Birla portrayed it as democracy in action – public dreams fueling policy, Parliament turning them into reality. He shared an insightful video chronicling central budget milestones.
India’s 1947-48 debut budget totaled 197 crore rupees in a 2.78 lakh crore economy, fixated on essentials: food, administration, infrastructure basics. Green Revolution era ramped up rural and public investments for grain self-reliance.
Post-1991 liberalization, budgets ballooned. 1991-92: 1 lakh crore budget, $270B GDP. By 2000-01: 3-4 lakh crore spend, $468B GDP. 2010-11: 10-12 lakh crore, $1.67T GDP. 2020-21 pandemic year: 35 lakh crore budget, $2.67T GDP.
Now, over 50 lakh crore budgets power a $4T+ economy, 25,000 times larger than inception. Modern emphases include mega infra projects, expressways, high-speed rails, airports; Digital India, startup ecosystem, defense production, renewables, AI tech, data hubs, chip manufacturing, and self-reliance drives.
This historical context amplifies the significance of today’s session, where the President’s words will frame debates on sustaining this phenomenal growth trajectory.