Chapter 12 – Politics of Planned Development
Q1. What is planned development?
Planned development involves systematic efforts by the government to guide economic growth through Five-Year Plans, focusing on equity, self-reliance, and modernization.
Q2. Why did India adopt planning after independence?
To address poverty, inequality, backwardness, and lack of infrastructure through state-led initiatives and long-term development strategies in a mixed economy.
Q3. What is the Planning Commission?
Established in 1950, it was India’s central body for designing and implementing Five-Year Plans, led by the Prime Minister.
Q4. What were the main objectives of India’s planning?
Growth, modernization, self-reliance, and equity were the four pillars of India’s planned development strategy.
Q5. What is a mixed economy?
A system where both private and public sectors coexist. The government controls key industries while allowing private enterprises in other sectors.
Q6. What was the first Five-Year Plan focused on?
Launched in 1951, it prioritized agriculture, irrigation, land reforms, and rural development to increase food production and support the economy.
Q7. What was the focus of the Second Five-Year Plan?
It emphasized heavy industries, steel production, and public sector expansion, based on the Mahalanobis model.
Q8. Who was P.C. Mahalanobis?
A statistician who designed India’s Second Five-Year Plan focusing on industrialisation and long-term capital formation.
Q9. Why did India focus on self-reliance?
To reduce dependence on foreign aid, control its economy, and strengthen sovereignty by building domestic capabilities in key industries.
Q10. What is the Green Revolution?
An agricultural transformation in the 1960s using HYV seeds, irrigation, and fertilizers to increase food production and achieve self-sufficiency.
Q11. What were the effects of the Green Revolution?
Increased food grain production, especially in Punjab and Haryana, but also caused regional disparity and benefited only large farmers.
Q12. What is land reform?
Redistribution of land to reduce inequality, abolish Zamindari, impose land ceilings, and give land to the tillers.
Q13. What are subsidies?
Financial assistance provided by the government to support farmers, industries, or consumers by reducing prices and encouraging production or consumption.
Q14. What is the debate around agricultural subsidies?
Critics say subsidies cause inefficiency and misuse; supporters argue they help small farmers and ensure food security.
Q15. What is poverty alleviation?
Government efforts to reduce poverty through employment schemes, rural development, education, and subsidised food and health services.
Q16. What is the public sector?
Industries and enterprises owned and operated by the government, especially in areas like steel, coal, banking, and transport.
Q17. What is the private sector?
Businesses owned and run by individuals or corporations aiming for profit, operating under government regulations.
Q18. What is economic inequality?
The gap between the rich and the poor in terms of income, resources, and opportunities, which planning aimed to reduce.
Q19. Why was industrialisation important for India?
To create jobs, reduce imports, increase production, and modernise the economy for long-term self-sufficiency and development.
Q20. What is import substitution?
A policy of replacing foreign goods with domestically produced items to protect local industries and reduce trade deficits.
Q21. What is liberalisation?
Economic reforms that reduce government control, encourage competition, and allow more private and foreign investment in the economy.
Q22. What is nationalisation?
The process of taking privately owned industries or banks into government control to promote equity and public welfare.
Q23. What are the criticisms of planning?
Bureaucratic delays, inefficiency, corruption, and lack of accountability made planning less effective in later decades.
Q24. What was the NITI Aayog?
Formed in 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, NITI Aayog promotes cooperative federalism and provides strategic policy direction.
Q25. What is cooperative federalism?
A system where the Centre and states work together in planning and development, respecting each other’s roles and autonomy.
Q26. What was the role of Five-Year Plans in reducing inequality?
They aimed at inclusive growth by focusing on rural development, employment, education, and health for marginalized communities.
Q27. What is democratic planning?
A process where planning is done through consultations, public participation, and parliamentary oversight, reflecting the needs of diverse groups.
Q28. How did planning promote national unity?
By reducing regional disparities, promoting balanced development, and integrating diverse regions into a single economic framework.
Q29. What role did the government play in regulating the economy?
It controlled production, investment, pricing, and imports in key sectors to guide development and prevent monopolies.
Q30. How did planning shape modern India?
It built infrastructure, industries, scientific institutions, and reduced poverty while laying the foundation for India’s self-reliant, mixed economy.