Politics Of Planned Development

class 12 Political Science

1. What was the ‘Bombay Plan’?

Ans:- The ‘Bombay Plan’ was a joint proposal of a section of the big industrialists for setting up a “Planned Economy” in the country. It was drafted in 1944. The ‘Bombay Plan’ wanted the state to take major initiatives in industrial and other economic investment.

2. When and how was the Planning Commission set up?

Ans:- The Planning Commission of India was set up in 1950 by a cabinet resolution and not by a law of Parliament; thus it is an “Extra-Constitutional body”.

Planning Commission does not have Statutory or Constitutional Status. It is supposed to be ‘advisory’ in nature but in reality it is very powerful and is called the “Economic Cabinet of the Country”.

3. Give the composition of the Planning Commission.

Ans:- The Planning Commission consists of the Prime Minister as its chairman some ministers who are in-charge of economic portfolios and some other members. The Planning Commission is a multi-member body. The members have a high public image and have an administrative and educational background.

 

4. What did the cabinet resolution of 1950 state regarding the aim of a mixed economy?

Ans:- The cabinet resolution of 1950 regarding the purpose of mixed economy stated the following under the scope of Planning Commission.

(i) That the citizens, men, women, equally have the right to an adequate means of livelihood.

(ii) That the ownership and control of the meterial resources of the country are so distributed as best to serve the common good.

(iii) That the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment.

5. Define the term “Mixed Economy”.

Ans:- Mixed Economy is an economy where both the public and private sectors co-exist.

(i) In this system both the sectors work within the invisible hand of the market and the visible hand of planning.

(ii) “Mixed Economy” states that state owned means of production are to aim at social welfare and private owned means of production are to be regulated by the state.

Thus, the aim of such an economy was to attain rapid economic development and ensure that no exploitative and restrictive tendencies emerged in the economy.

6. What is Plan holiday? Why some years are called plan holidays?

Ans:- ‘Plan holiday’ is the gap between the two five years plans. During some years e.g. 1979-80, 1990-92 there were no five years plans but stop gap arrangements by the way of annual plans. This was due to change in government, government’s lack of clarity about development goals strategies etc. That five years plans were not formulated or even subject to review and changes by the succeeding government.

7. What was the major thrust of the First Five Year Plan? In which ways did the second plan differ from the first one?

Ans:- The First Five Year Plan which commenced in 1951 was drafted by the young economist K. N. Raj. This plan sought to get the country’s economy out of the cycle of poverty. The major thrust area of aim of the first five year plan was:

(i) Agrarian sector including investment in dams and irrigation. It is because agricultural sector was hit hardest by partition and needed urgent attention.

(ii) Huge allocations were made for large scale projects like the Bhakhra Nangal Dam.

(iii) The first five year plan also focused on land reforms as for country’s development.

(iv) Actually the basic aim of the planners was to raise the level of National Income.

But the second five year plan was different from the first one in that the first five year plan had preached patience in its application, on the other hand. The second plan wanted to bring about quick structural transformation by making changes simultaneously in all possible directions. The second five year plan stressed on heavy industries.

8. What was the Green Revolution? Mention two positive and two negative consequences of the Green Revolution?

Ans:- The Green Revolution is a package of a new strategy of agricultural practices which resulted in increased yields of crops, especially food grains. The increase in the production is as a result of high-yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers and scientific irrigation.

Features:

(i) The government offered high-yielding variety of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and batter irrigation at highly subsided prices.

(ii) The government also gave a guarantee to buy the produce of the farmers at a given price.

Two positive consequences:- The Green Revolution had two positive effects such as:

(i) opened the path for left wing organisations:- One was that in many parts, the stark contrast between the poor peasantry and the landlords produced conditions favorable for left wing organisations to organize the poor peasants.

(ii) Gave rise to the middle peasant sections:- secondly, the Green Revolution also resulted in the rise of what is called the middle peasant sections. These were farmers with medium size holdings, who benefited from the changes and soon emerged politically influential in many parts of the country.

9. Examine the main areas of trust of the second five year plan.

(Or) Discuss the features of second five year plan.

Ans:- The second five year plan was drafted by economics and planners under the leadership of P.C. Mahalanobis for the years of 1956-61.

(i) The main aim of the second five year plan was to bring about quick structural transformation by making changes simultaneously in all possible directions.

(ii) Second five year plan was based on the ‘socialist pattern of society.

(iii) In this plan government imposed substantial tariffs on imports in order to protect domestic industries.

(iv) The second five year plan stressed on heavy industries.

(v) A bulk of industries like electricity, railways, steel machines and communication could be developed in the public sector.

(vi) Thus, such a push for industrialization marked a turning point in India’s developments.

Drawbacks: But the second five year plan had its problems as well.

(i) India was technologically backward, so it had to spend precious foreign exchange to buy technology from the global market.

(ii) A part from this as indutry attracked more investment than agriculture, so the possibility of food shotage loomed large.

(iii) Critics also pointed out that the second five year plan strategies  from this time around displayed an mistakable “Urban Bias”.

10. What is Kerala Model?

Ans:- The Kerala planning or model is the name given to the path of planning and development charted by the state of Kerala. This model was based on the “Decentralized Planning”.

In this model there has been focus on education, health, land reform, effective food distribution and poverty alleviation.

As the outcome of this model in spite of low per capita incomes and weak industrial base Kerala achieved near total literacy, long life expectancy, low infant and female mortality, low birth rate and high access to medical care.

Between 1987 and 1991, the government launched the “New Democratic Initiative” which involved campaigns for development through voluntary citizens organizations. Between 1987 and 1991 the government launched the New Democratic Initiative which involved campaigns for development through voluntary citizen’s organizations. The Kerala state has also taken initiative to involve people in making plans at the Panchayat, block and district level.

11. Explain the Food crisis in Bihar.

Ans:- In 1960s the agricultural solution of our country went from bad to worse. Between 1965 and 1967, severe droughts occur in many parts of the country.

(i) And it was in Bihar that the food crisis was most acutely left as the state faced a near famine situation. The food shortage was significant in all districts of Bihar.

(ii) The food deprivation subsequently led to acute and widespread malnutrition.

(iii) Death rate in Bihar in 1967 was 34% higher than the number of deaths that occurred in the following year.

(iv) Food prices also hit a high in Bihar during the year. At the sametime the government had zoning policies that prohibited trade of food across states; this reduced the availability of food in Bihar dramatically. In such a situation the poorest section of the society suffered the most.

12. Write a note on the White Revolution in Gujrat.

Ans:- The White Revolution in Gujrat was started by “Verghese Kurian” known as the “Milkman of India”. He launched the “Gujarat Co-operative Milk and Marketing Federation Ltd’. This federation further launched Amul.

Based in Anand a town in Gurjat ‘Amul’ as a diary co-operative movement joined by about 2 and half million milk producers in Gujrat. The Amul pattern became a uniquely appropriate model for rural development and poverty alleviation, what has come to be known as the White Revolution.

To follow up in 1970 the rural development programme called Operation Flood was started. “Operation Flood” was however, not just a dairy programme, it saw dairy as a path to development for generating umployment and income for rural households and alleviating poverty. 

Dr. Ratanlal Brahma, M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D.
Post Graduate Teacher (Political Science)
H.N.Seminary Model HS School, Bagribari, Dhubri, Assam
Email : brahmaratan@gmail.com
Whatsapp no. : 7020477396