Five Year Plans — Set 5

Correct Answer: A. 8.0%

• **8.0%** = The Twelfth Five Year Plan initially proposed a growth target of 9% which was later revised downward to 8.0% by the National Development Council. • **Revised by NDC in late 2012** — The National Development Council revised the target to 8% in late 2012 due to global economic headwinds and domestic slowdown. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 8.2%: this is not the officially revised or approved target for the Twelfth Plan; 7.5%: the NDC did not approve a 7.5% target; 9.0%: this was the original proposal but it was revised down to 8% by the NDC.

Correct Answer: B. Fourth Plan

• **Fourth Plan** = The Lead Bank Scheme was introduced in December 1969 during the Fourth Five Year Plan, based on the Gadgil Study Group and Nariman Committee recommendations. • **District-wise bank allocation** — Each district was assigned to a specific commercial bank to act as 'lead bank' for coordinating credit planning and developmental banking. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Third Plan: the Lead Bank Scheme was introduced after bank nationalisation in 1969, during the Fourth Plan; Fifth Plan: the Fifth Plan began in 1974, after the Lead Bank Scheme was already operational; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan started in 1980, a full decade after the Lead Bank Scheme.

Correct Answer: A. Seventh Plan

• **Seventh Plan** = The Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-90) emphasised 'Food, Work and Productivity' to boost agricultural and industrial efficiency. • **6% growth achieved** — The plan achieved a healthy average growth rate of 6%, driven by improvements in food grain production and small-scale industries. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Eighth Plan: the Eighth Plan focused on LPG reforms and human resource development after liberalisation; Ninth Plan: the Ninth Plan focused on 'Growth with Social Justice and Equality'; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan focused on poverty alleviation through IRDP.

Correct Answer: D. Ninth Plan

• **Ninth Plan** = The Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002) was the first to make 'empowerment of women' a strategic objective. • **Women Component Plan (30%)** — It introduced the 'Women Component Plan' to ensure a minimum of 30% of funds in beneficiary-oriented programmes reached women directly. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tenth Plan: the Tenth Plan continued women-focused policies but was not the first to adopt empowerment as a strategic goal; Eighth Plan: the Eighth Plan focused on economic reforms and human capital; Eleventh Plan: it advanced inclusive growth but the women-empowerment strategic objective was formalised in the Ninth Plan.

Correct Answer: D. Fifth Plan

• **Fifth Plan** = Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) were established on 2 October 1975 under the Fifth Five Year Plan to provide credit to small farmers and rural artisans. • **Narasimham Working Group** — The first RRB (Prathama Bank in Moradabad) was set up based on the recommendations of the Narasimham Working Group. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sixth Plan: the RRBs were established in 1975 during the Fifth Plan, not the Sixth; Fourth Plan: the Fourth Plan focused on bank nationalisation, not on setting up Regional Rural Banks; Seventh Plan: the Seventh Plan began in 1985, a decade after RRBs were established.

Correct Answer: A. 1950-1980

• **1950-1980** = The term 'Hindu Growth Rate' was coined by economist Raj Krishna to describe the stagnant average annual GDP growth of approximately 3.5% from 1950 to 1980. • **3.5% average annual growth** — This low rate was attributed to excessive government controls, bureaucratic red tape, and the licence-permit raj. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 2000-2010: this was India's high-growth phase with 7-9% GDP growth; 1991-2000: liberalisation in 1991 drove higher growth in this period; 1980-1990: growth began picking up during the Seventh Plan era, moving beyond the Hindu Growth Rate.

Correct Answer: A. Third Plan

• **Third Plan** = The Third Five Year Plan followed the financial and investment framework associated with Sukhamoy Chakravarty's contributions to Indian planning. • **Ambitious 5.6% target, only 2.4% achieved** — It aimed for an ambitious 5.6% growth rate but external shocks reduced actual growth to just 2.4%. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Fourth Plan: the Fourth Plan was guided by a framework focusing on stability and agricultural recovery; Fifth Plan: the Fifth Plan was based on D. P. Dhar's approach for poverty removal; Second Plan: the Second Plan was based on the Mahalanobis model of capital goods-led growth.

Correct Answer: A. Eighth Plan

• **Eighth Plan** = The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) was launched in 1994 during the Eighth Five Year Plan to achieve universalisation of elementary education. • **1994 decentralised model** — It focused on decentralised planning and community participation at the district level to improve enrolment and quality. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Seventh Plan: DPEP was launched in 1994 during the Eighth Plan, not the Seventh; Ninth Plan: the Ninth Plan started in 1997, after DPEP was already operational; Tenth Plan: the Tenth Plan continued DPEP but did not launch it.

Correct Answer: C. Avadi Session (1955)

• **Avadi Session (1955)** = The Avadi Session of the Indian National Congress in 1955 adopted the 'Socialist Pattern of Society' as the goal of planning. • **Shaped Second Plan** — This decision directly shaped the Second Five Year Plan's emphasis on the public sector and rapid heavy industrialisation. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Haripura Session (1938): this session elected Subhash Chandra Bose as INC president; Nagpur Session (1959): it focused on land reforms and cooperative farming; Karachi Session (1931): it adopted the Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme resolution.

Correct Answer: A. 45 per 1000

• **45 per 1000** = The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) targeted a reduction in the infant mortality rate (IMR) to 45 per 1000 live births. • **MMR target: 2 per 1000** — It also aimed to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 2 per 1000 live births by 2007. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 35 per 1000: this was a more ambitious target not set for the Tenth Plan; 60 per 1000: this figure is higher than the target the Tenth Plan set; 28 per 1000: this was a target associated with a later planning period.