<P> The Union Budget of India for 2018--2019 was presented by Arun Jaitley on 1 February 2018 . </P> <P> Until the year 1999, the Union Budget was announced at 5: 00 pm on the last working day of the month of February . This practice was inherited from the Colonial Era, Another reason was that until the 1990s, all that budgets seem to do was to raise taxes, a presentation in the evening gave producers and the tax collecting agencies the night to work out the change in prices . It was Mr. Yashwant Sinha, the then Finance Minister of India in the NDA government (led by Bharatiya Janata Party) of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who changed the ritual by announcing the 1999 Union Budget at 11 am . </P> <P> Also again in 2017, departing from the colonial - era tradition of presenting the Union Budget on the last working day of February, Minister of Finance (India) Arun Jaitley, in the NDA government (led by Bharatiya Janata Party) of Narendra Modi government announced that it will now be presented on 1 February . Additionally Rail Budget, presented separately for 92 Years, merged with union budget . </P> <P> The printing of budget documents starts roughly a week ahead of presenting in the Parliament with a customary' Halwa ceremony' in which halwa (a sweet dish) is prepared in large quantities and served to the officers and support staff involved . They remain isolated and stay in the North Block office until the Budget is presented . Halwa is also served by the Finance Minister . This ceremony is performed as a part of the Indian tradition of having something sweet before starting an important work . </P>

Who is responsible for presenting the union budget before the parliament