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Who presented the first budget to free Indias Parliament?
Explanation
The first budget of independent India was presented on November 26, 1947, by R.K. Shanmugam Chetty. Chetty served as the first Finance Minister of free India under the leadership of Jawaharlal Nehru. This historic budget was an interim one, covering the period from August 15, 1947, to March 31, 1948, and was introduced while the nation was grappling with the economic and political challenges of partition. The budget estimated total revenues at Rs. 171.15 crores and expenditures at Rs. 197.39 crores, with a significant portion allocated to defense and refugee rehabilitation. While James Wilson presented India's first-ever budget in 1860 during the British era, Chetty holds the distinction of presenting the first budget to the Parliament of a free India. Morarji Desai, another option, holds the record for presenting the maximum number of budgets in later years.