BharatNotes Static GK
Five Year Plans & NITI Aayog
All 12 Plans (1951–2017) · Plan Holiday · Rolling Plans · Planning Commission · NITI Aayog — verified to April 2026.
Key structural fact: Planning Commission (1950–2014) was NOT a constitutional or statutory body — it was created by an executive resolution of the GoI (15 March 1950). Similarly, NITI Aayog (est. 1 January 2015) has no statutory basis. Both are/were executive bodies. The Planning Commission was chaired by the Prime Minister; so is NITI Aayog.
⚖️ Planning Commission vs NITI Aayog
| Feature | Planning Commission (1950–2014) | NITI Aayog (2015–present) |
|---|---|---|
| Established | 15 March 1950 (GoI Resolution) | 1 January 2015 (Union Cabinet resolution); PM announced closure of Planning Commission on 15 August 2014 from Red Fort |
| Full name | Planning Commission of India | National Institution for Transforming India |
| Chairperson | Prime Minister (ex-officio); first chairman: Jawaharlal Nehru | Prime Minister (ex-officio); currently Narendra Modi |
| Vice-Chairperson (May 2026) | — | Ashok Kumar Lahiri (appointed 25 April 2026; succeeded Suman Bery, who served 1 May 2022 – April 2026). Former Chief Economic Adviser (2002–07); 15th Finance Commission member; Bengal BJP MLA. |
| CEO (Apr 2026) | — | Nidhi Chhibber (additional charge from 24 Feb 2026; 1994-batch IAS, Chhattisgarh cadre) |
| Approach | Top-down, centralised planning | Bottom-up, cooperative federalism — states are partners, not recipients |
| Fund allocation | Yes — allocated plan funds to states and ministries | No — purely advisory; no fund-allocation power. Finance Ministry now handles this. |
| Planning instrument | Five-Year Plans | Long-term vision documents (e.g., Strategy for New India @75); no Five-Year Plans |
| Statutory basis | None — executive resolution | None — executive resolution |
| Governing Council | National Development Council (NDC) — PM + State CMs + Planning Commission members | Governing Council — PM (Chair) + CMs of all States + LGs of UTs with legislature + Ex-Officio Cabinet Ministers + Vice-Chairperson + Full-time Members + Special Invitees. 10th meeting held 24 May 2025 (theme: Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047) |
📊 All Twelve Five Year Plans (1951–2017)
| Plan | Years | Theme / Focus | Growth Target | Growth Achieved | Key UPSC Facts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Plan | 1951–1956 | Agriculture & rehabilitation (Harrod-Domar model) | 2.1% | 3.6% ✓ | Focus: agriculture, major dams (Bhakra Nangal), refugee rehabilitation post-Partition. Exceeded target. |
| 2nd Plan | 1956–1961 | Rapid industrialisation — heavy/basic industries | 4.5% | 4.27% | Mahalanobis Model (P.C. Mahalanobis, 1953) — emphasis on heavy industry & public sector. Steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela established. Most UPSC-tested plan for economic model. |
| 3rd Plan | 1961–1966 | Self-reliant and self-generating economy | 5.6% | 2.4% ✗ | Failed due to Sino-Indian War (1962) + India-Pakistan War (1965). Green Revolution initiated (HYV seeds introduced 1965). "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" slogan by Shastri (Oct 1965). Led directly to Plan Holiday. |
| Plan Holiday | 1966–1969 (3 Annual Plans) | — | — | — | Three Annual Plans declared due to: 3rd Plan failure + two wars + severe drought (1965–66) + foreign exchange crisis + inflationary pressure. No Five-Year Plan for 3 years. |
| 4th Plan | 1969–1974 | Growth with Stability & Progressive Self-Reliance | 5.7% | 3.3% ✗ | 14 major banks nationalised (19 July 1969). Green Revolution consolidated — food self-sufficiency achieved. India-Pakistan War 1971 impact. Privy Purses abolished. |
| 5th Plan | 1974–1978 | Removal of Poverty (Garibi Hatao) + Self-Reliance | 4.4% | 4.8% ✓ | "Garibi Hatao" as explicit plan objective (Indira Gandhi's 1971 election slogan formalised as plan goal). Terminated one year early (1978) by incoming Janata Party government — only plan terminated prematurely. |
| Rolling Plans | 1978–1980 | Annual rolling targets | — | — | Introduced by PM Morarji Desai (Janata Party) — rejected concept of rigid five-year targets. Abandoned when Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980. |
| 6th Plan | 1980–1985 | Poverty alleviation + modernisation of technology | 5.2% | 5.7% ✓ | IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Programme), NREP, TRYSEM schemes launched. First plan to exceed target since 1st Plan. Minimum Needs Programme continued. |
| 7th Plan | 1985–1990 | Food, Work and Productivity | 5.0% | 6.0% ✓ | PM Rajiv Gandhi era. Jawahar Rozgar Yojana launched. Technology Mission emphasis. Strong growth period. |
| Two Annual Plans | 1990–1992 | — | — | — | 8th Plan delayed due to political instability (V.P. Singh → Chandrasekhar → P.V. Narasimha Rao governments). BOP crisis of 1991 intervened. |
| 8th Plan | 1992–1997 | Human development + economic growth | 5.6% | 6.8% ✓ | LPG Reforms (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) — 1991 New Economic Policy under PM Narasimha Rao + FM Manmohan Singh implemented during this plan. Record 7.5% growth in 1994–97 period. Human development focus. |
| 9th Plan | 1997–2002 | Growth with Social Justice and Equality | 6.5% | 5.4% ✗ | PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee era. Target missed due to Asian financial crisis (1997–98) + Kargil War (1999) + global slowdown. Pokhran-II nuclear tests (May 1998). |
| 10th Plan | 2002–2007 | Growth for employment reduction + poverty eradication | 8.0% | 7.6% | Regional approach in planning. Significant GDP acceleration. MGNREGA enacted 2005. SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) operationalised. GDP growth averaged 7.6% — near target. |
| 11th Plan | 2007–2012 | Faster and More Inclusive Growth | 9.0% | 8.0% | PM Manmohan Singh. Strong focus on education, health, skill formation. RTI (2005), RTE (2009), MGNREGA (2005) implemented in context of this plan's inclusive growth agenda. Near-miss on target. |
| 12th Plan | 2012–2017 | Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth | 8.0% | ~6.5% | Last Five Year Plan. Approved by National Development Council on 27 December 2012. Planning Commission abolished mid-plan (2014); NITI Aayog replaced it. No 13th Plan was ever formulated. |
🏛️ NITI Aayog — Key Initiatives
| Initiative | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) | Launched January 2018 by PM. Covers 112 most under-developed districts. Five themes: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, Infrastructure. 49 KPIs tracked monthly. Delta ranking system rewards improvement, not absolute scores. |
| Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP) | Launched 7 January 2023 by PM at 2nd National Conference of Chief Secretaries. Covers 500 blocks across 329 districts in 27 States and 4 UTs. Monitored on 39 KPIs across themes: Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Allied Services, Basic Infrastructure, Social Development. Extends the ADP model to the block tier. |
| Vision Documents | Strategy for New India @75 (2018); India@2047 Vision (Viksit Bharat) — replaces Five-Year Plans as long-term planning framework |
| SDG India Index | Annual index tracking India's states/UTs on Sustainable Development Goals. Published by NITI Aayog. |
| Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) | Under NITI Aayog — promotes innovation and entrepreneurship; Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) in schools; Atal Incubation Centres. |
| AMRUT & Smart Cities | Conceived in NITI Aayog framework; implemented by MoHUA. Urban transformation initiative. |
⚠️ High-Frequency Exam Traps
| Trap / MCQ Point | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
| Planning Commission was a constitutional body? | No. Neither Planning Commission nor NITI Aayog has statutory/constitutional basis — both created by executive (Cabinet) resolution. |
| Which plan used the Mahalanobis model? | 2nd Plan (1956–61) — heavy industry focus based on Mahalanobis (ISI) model. 1st Plan used Harrod-Domar model. |
| "Garibi Hatao" belongs to which plan? | 5th Plan (1974–78) — though the slogan was Indira Gandhi's 1971 election campaign, it was formalised as 5th Plan's explicit objective. |
| Which plan was terminated early? | 5th Plan — terminated in 1978 (one year early) by the Janata Party government. |
| Rolling Plans were introduced by which PM? | PM Morarji Desai (Janata Party), 1978–1980. NOT Indira Gandhi or Nehru. |
| Green Revolution — which plan? | Initiated in 3rd Plan (HYV seeds 1965); consolidated in 4th Plan. Both are accepted answers — specify which aspect. |
| LPG reforms — which plan? | 8th Plan (1992–97) — 1991 NEP reforms were implemented during this plan period. |
| What is NITI Aayog's full form? | National Institution for Transforming India — not "National Institute." The acronym NITI is also the Hindi word for "policy." |
| Does NITI Aayog allocate funds to states? | No — this is the key difference from Planning Commission. NITI Aayog is advisory only; fund allocation is done by Finance Ministry. |
| How many Five Year Plans have there been? | 12 (1951–2017). The 12th Plan (2012–17) was the last. No 13th Plan — replaced by NITI Aayog's long-term vision documents. |
| Which plan period had "Plan Holiday"? | 1966–69 (between 3rd and 4th Plans) — three Annual Plans due to wars, drought, and resource crisis. NOT the 1990–92 gap (those were "Two Annual Plans" due to political instability). |
| Which plan focused on "Food, Work and Productivity"? | 7th Plan (1985–90) |
Exam strategy: UPSC tests Five Year Plans on four axes — (1) which economic model (Mahalanobis = 2nd Plan), (2) which slogan/objective (Garibi Hatao = 5th, LPG = 8th), (3) Plan Holiday periods (1966–69 and 1990–92 gaps), (4) NITI Aayog vs Planning Commission differences (fund allocation, approach, instruments). The 12th Plan being the last and NITI Aayog's advisory-only role are the most recent high-yield facts.
