Planning involves the process of thinking, formulation of a scheme or programme, and implementation of a set of actions to achieve specific economic goals.
On 1 January 2015, the NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was formed, replacing the traditional Planning Commission. It aims to involve states in economic policy-making and provide strategic and technical advice to Central and State governments, transitioning India from centralized to decentralized multi-level planning.
To address regional and social disparities, the Planning Commission introduced "target area" and "target group" approaches to planning.
Initiated during the Fifth Five Year Plan, covering 15 districts (including hilly districts of Uttarakhand, Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu). In 1981, the National Committee on the Development of Backward Areas recommended that all hill areas above 600 meters not covered under tribal sub-plans be treated as backward hill areas.
Initiated during the Fourth Five Year Plan to provide employment and create productive assets in drought-prone regions. It emphasizes irrigation, land development, afforestation, and grassland development.
The Bharmaur tribal area in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, is inhabited by the Gaddi community, a tribal group practicing transhumance and speaking the Gaddiali dialect.
Introduced in 1974 under the Fifth Five Year Plan. It prioritized transport, communication, agriculture, and social/community services.
The concept of development evolved from purely economic growth (GNP and per capita income) in the post-WWII era to include redistribution, equity, and well-being in the 1970s and 1980s.
Emerging from environmental concerns in the late 1960s (highlighted by publications like The Population Bomb and The Limits to Growth), the United Nations established the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), led by Gro Harlem Brundtland.
The Brundtland Report, Our Common Future (1987), defined Sustainable Development as:
"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Conceived by Kanwar Sain in 1948 and launched in 1958, this is one of India's largest canal systems, transforming the arid landscape of Rajasthan.
| Feature | Stage I | Stage II |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, northern Bikaner | Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Churu |
| Culturable Command Area | 5.53 lakh hectares | 14.10 lakh hectares |
| Introduction of Irrigation | Early 1960s | Mid-1980s |