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explain the objectives of planning commission in India

The Planning Commission was set up by a Resolution of the Government of India in March 1950 in pursuance of declared objectives of the Government to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing production and offering opportunities to all for employment in the service of the community. The Planning Commission was charged with the responsibility of making assessment of all resources of the country, augmenting deficient resources, formulating plans for the most effective and balanced utilisation of resources and determining priorities. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Chairman of the Planning Commission.

The first Five-year Plan was launched in 1951 and two subsequent five-year plans were formulated till 1965, when there was a break because of the Indo-Pakistan Conflict. Two successive years of drought, devaluation of the currency, a general rise in prices and erosion of resources disrupted the planning process and after three Annual Plans between 1966 and 1969, the fourth Five-year plan was started in 1969.

The Eighth Plan could not take off in 1990 due to the fast changing political situation at the Centre and the years 1990-91 and 1991-92 were treated as Annual Plans. The Eighth Plan was finally launched in 1992 after the initiation of structural adjustment policies.

For the first eight Plans the emphasis was on a growing public sector with massive investments in basic and heavy industries, but since the launch of the Ninth Plan in 1997, the emphasis on the public sector has become less pronounced and the current thinking on planning in the country, in general, is that it should increasingly be of an indicative nature.

It is located at Yojana Bhawan

objective and functions of plannin commission

1.To make an assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country, including technical personnel and to investigate the possibilities of augmenting such of those resources as are found to be deficient in relation to the nation’s requirements.

2. To formulate a plan for the most effective and balanced utilisation of the country s resources.

3. To determine priorities as between projects and programmes accepted in the plan.

4. To indicate the factors that retard economic development and to determine conditions which should be established for the success of the plan.

5. To determine the nature of the machinery to secure the successful implementation of the plan.

6. To appraise from time to time the progress of the plan and to recommend the necessary adjustments of policy and measures; and

7. To make recommendations either for facilitating the discharge of its duties or tor a consideration of the prevailing economic conditions, current policies, measures and development programmes; or for an examination of problems referred to it for advice by the Central or State Government.