Budget 2019 date: This is when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will deliver his speech

Budget 2019: Despite being an interim budget, there is a lot of buzz around the final budget to be presented by the ruling government, in less than three weeks. Ruling dispensation's unpredictability in making populist decisions, especially after showering 10 per cent quota for general category in government jobs and educational institutions at the penultimate session of the 16th Lok Sabha, is what makes the upcoming budget an exciting one. The curiosity is further deepened as the Budget session, which usually happens in two phases, is likely to be held in a single phase, from January 31 to February 13, as the general elections are slated to be held in a few months. 

Citing government sources, a PTI report has said that the Budget session of Parliament is likely to be held from January 31 to February 13, and the interim Budget would be presented on February 1. President Ram Nath Kovind is likely to address the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 31, and on the same day, the Economic Survey may also be tabled.

If we look at the convention, the finance minister avoids making any new announcements that may give the government an electoral edge, but the government can not be prevented from using the occasion to put forth a road map for the next five years.

However, the interim budget can be expected to focus on social upliftment and welfare measures, with a focus on healthcare targeting farmers and people from every walk of life in the wake the ruling party's recent debacle in three state assembly polls.

In the earlier UPA government led by Congress party, the then finance minister P Chidambaram had presented an interim budget in February 2014, and had made some announcements, especially one rank one pension, which was later criticised by Arun Jaitley, who became the finance minister in the new NDA government in May 2014.