Five Year Plans
Five Year Plans – 30-Minute Revision Sheet
🔖 One-Liner
“India’s 12 Five-Year Plans (1951-2017) → now replaced by NITI Aayog’s 3-year Action Plan & 15-year Vision.”
🧠 Mnemonic to Remember Plan Periods
“Happy Lively Children Play Games; Some Always Bring Nice Delicious Meals”
(H-1st, L-2nd, C-3rd, P-4th, G-5th, S-6th, A-7th, B-8th, N-9th, D-10th, M-11th, M-12th)
Each word’s 1st letter = plan number; count syllables for years (approx.).
📊 Plan-at-a-Glance Table (RRB Favourite)
| Plan | Period | Prime Focus | Growth Target (%) | Actual (%) | Tag-Line / Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1951-56 | Agriculture, Dams | 2.1 | 3.6 | “AGRI & IRRIGATION” |
| 2nd | 1956-61 | Heavy Industry | 4.5 | 4.2 | “Steel & HDI” |
| 3rd | 1961-66 | Self-reliance | 5.6 | 2.4 | “War & Drought” |
| Plan Holiday | 1966-69 | — | — | — | 3 Annual Plans |
| 4th | 1969-74 | Growth + Stability | 5.7 | 3.3 | “Garibi Hatao” |
| 5th | 1974-79 | Poverty removal | 4.4 | 5.0 | “Minimum Needs” |
| Rolling | 1978-80 | Janata Plan | — | — | Morarji |
| 6th | 1980-85 | Rural devp. | 5.2 | 5.7 | “IRDP” |
| 7th | 1985-90 | Employment | 5.0 | 6.0 | “Food-work-wages” |
| Annual Plans | 1990-92 | Crisis | — | — | IMF bailout |
| 8th | 1992-97 | Liberalisation | 5.6 | 6.8 | “Rao-Manmohan” |
| 9th | 1997-02 | Growth w/ justice | 6.5 | 5.5 | “POVERTY 2×” |
| 10th | 2002-07 | GDP x2 | 8.0 | 7.6 | “SERVICE BOOM” |
| 11th | 2007-12 | Inclusive | 9.0 | 8.0 | “Eleventh = INCLUSIVE” |
| 12th | 2012-17 | Faster, inclusive, sustainable | 8.0 | 7.0 | “LAST & FAST” |
⚡ Ultra-Quick Bullets (RRB Loves These)
- Longest Plan: 6th (5 yrs) & 12th (5 yrs) – but Plan Holiday (3 yrs) & Rolling Plan (2 yrs) = shortest.
- Highest achieved growth: 8th Plan (6.8 %).
- Lowest achieved: 3rd Plan (2.4 %).
- Only Plan started by Janata Govt: Rolling Plan 1978-80.
- Plan Holiday = 3 Annual Plans (1966-69) – due to Indo-Pak war & drought.
- NITI Aayog replaced Planning Commission (1 Jan 2015).
- Strategy changed: 12th Plan was last; now 3-Year Action Plan + 7-Year Strategy + 15-Year Vision (2017-32).
🧮 Memory Formula for Growth Targets
“Target always >6 % from 8th Plan onward; before that ≤5.7 %.”
🔟 Rapid-Fire MCQs
1. Which Five-Year Plan had the motto “Garibi Hatao”?
Answer: 4th Five-Year Plan2. The Plan Holiday period refers to:
Answer: 1966-693. Who was the first Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission?
Answer: Gulzari Lal Nanda4. India’s highest actual GDP growth in any Plan was recorded in:
Answer: 8th Plan (6.8 %)5. The last Five-Year Plan was:
Answer: 12th (2012-17)6. Rolling Plan was introduced during the regime of:
Answer: Janata Party Government7. NITI Aayog came into existence on:
Answer: 1 January 20158. Which Plan was suspended mid-term due to political change in 1990?
Answer: 8th (postponed to 1992)9. “Inclusive growth” was the core aim of:
Answer: 11th Five-Year Plan10. Match: Plan → Period. Correct pair is:
Answer: 10th Plan → 2002-2007Revise → Recall → Rock the exam!
BETA
