Budget 2021: FM Sitharaman replaces Swadeshi 'bahi khata' with tablet

The Budget 2021-22 was still wrapped in a red velvet bahi-khata, but there was no paper inside. For the first time, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman read out her Budget speech from a tablet that she pulled out carefully from a velvet bag and returned to it when she finished her speech. 

Sitharaman walked into the House several minutes before 11 am and placed the tablet on the podium. It kept sliding off, so jugaad followed: A thick navy blue book was produced to stabilize it. The device made a marked difference to her delivery -- unlike previous occasions, there was no