Yesterday the Indian government announced its budget for the year. Ellen Barry took a look at what goes into it in the days leading up to its release:

• For 9 days and nights about 100 government workers proofread, print, and bind 10,000 copied of the budget document.
• The workers are put behind locked doors, sealed by wax, and have all communication devices confiscated.
• Food is bought in and has to be taste tested to ensure that there’s little chance of food poisoning.
• If somebody were to get sick, they would be moved to a government hospital where they would be monitored by an intelligence agent.
• The measures date back to the time of colonization when the British would control the budget lest leaks about tax policy lead to the hoarding or dumping of goods such as tea and spices.
• The measures are successful. The budget has never been leaked.

Read about why one man was granted permission to leave the room – and why he returned the next day – stories from those who have been through the process, and much more over here.

Source: The New York Times