Economic planning in India
Short Questions
1. What is economic planning?
Answer: Economic planning is a time-bound program to achieve specific objectives using available resources by a planning authority.
2. When was the Planning Commission established in India?
Answer: The Planning Commission was established in 1950.
3. Who is the Ex-Officio Chairman of the Planning Commission?
Answer: The Prime Minister of India is the Ex-Officio Chairman.
4. What replaced the Planning Commission in 2015?
Answer: NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in 2015.
5. What was the main objective of the First Five Year Plan?
Answer: The main objective was the development of agriculture.
6. What is the full form of NITI Aayog?
Answer: National Institution for Transforming India.
7. What was the focus of the Twelfth Five Year Plan?
Answer: It focused on faster, sustainable, and inclusive growth.
8. Who chairs NITI Aayog?
Answer: The Prime Minister of India chairs NITI Aayog.
9. What is a think-tank in the context of NITI Aayog?
Answer: A think-tank is a group of experts that discusses problems and finds solutions.
10. What is the target GDP growth rate of the Twelfth Five Year Plan?
Answer: The target GDP growth rate was 8%.
Long Questions
1. What is the Bombay Plan, and what was its purpose?
Answer: The Bombay Plan was a 1944 economic proposal by Indian industrialists to promote rapid industrialization after independence. It aimed to strengthen the economy through government-led industrial growth and infrastructure development, influencing India’s early economic planning.
2. Explain the People’s Plan and its key focus.
Answer: The People’s Plan, proposed in 1944 by M.N. Roy, focused on agriculture and rural development. It emphasized improving living standards through decentralized planning, prioritizing small-scale industries and equitable resource distribution.
3. What was the Gandhian Plan, and what did it emphasize?
Answer: The Gandhian Plan, proposed by S.N. Agarwala in 1944, emphasized self-sufficient villages and cottage industries. It aimed to promote rural development, reduce dependency on imports, and foster economic independence through local production.
4. What are the main features of economic planning in India?
Answer: Economic planning involves a central authority, comprehensive surveys, clear objectives, prioritized targets, resource mobilization, fixed plan periods, periodic evaluations, continuous processes, coordination between center and states, and flexibility to adapt to changes.
5. Describe the objectives of the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-2017).
Answer: The Twelfth Five Year Plan aimed for an 8% GDP growth, 4% agricultural growth, 10% industrial growth, poverty reduction by 10%, and 50 million new jobs. It also focused on improving education, health, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
6. How does NITI Aayog differ from the Planning Commission in terms of state involvement?
Answer: NITI Aayog promotes greater state involvement through cooperative federalism, encouraging states to actively participate in national policy-making. Unlike the Planning Commission, which had limited state roles, NITI Aayog fosters collaboration and decentralized planning.
7. What is the structure of NITI Aayog?
Answer: NITI Aayog is chaired by the Prime Minister, with a Vice-Chairperson, five full-time members, two part-time members, four ex-officio members, and a CEO. It includes a Governing Council of state Chief Ministers and regional councils for specific issues.
8. Explain the role of NITI Aayog as a think-tank.
Answer: As a think-tank, NITI Aayog evolves a shared national development vision, provides policy guidance, and fosters cooperative federalism. It supports states with consultancy, research, and best practices to address challenges and promote good governance.
9. What are the key functions of NITI Aayog?
Answer: NITI Aayog develops a national agenda, supports states, promotes decentralized planning, acts as a knowledge hub, monitors policies, and fosters cooperative federalism. It also handles consultancy, conflict resolution, and technological upgrades.
10. Why was the Twelfth Five Year Plan extended, and what was NITI Aayog’s role post-2017?
Answer: The Twelfth Five Year Plan was extended by six months until October 2017 to complete appraisals. Post-2017, NITI Aayog took over, focusing on cooperative federalism, state collaboration, and long-term development through vision documents and policy guidance.
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