Five Year Plans — Set 6

Correct Answer: B. Eighth Plan

• **Eighth Plan** = The Integrated Wasteland Development Programme was significantly expanded during the Eighth Five Year Plan (1992-97) to combat land degradation. • **6 million hectares target** — The programme aimed to restore around 6 million hectares of degraded land and create sustainable rural livelihoods. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Ninth Plan: it continued wasteland development but the expansion was in the Eighth Plan; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan focused on IRDP-based poverty alleviation; Seventh Plan: the Seventh Plan focused on food, work and productivity.

Correct Answer: D. First Plan

• **First Plan** = The First Five Year Plan highlighted the importance of universities like Vishwa Bharati in building national character and cultural synthesis. • **UGC established 1953** — The First Plan period also saw the establishment of the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1953 to regulate higher education. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Second Plan: the Second Plan focused on heavy industries, not cultural and educational institutions like Vishwa Bharati; Fourth Plan: the Fourth Plan focused on agriculture and bank nationalisation; Third Plan: the Third Plan aimed at industrial self-reliance and was disrupted by wars.

Correct Answer: C. 1974

• **1974** = The Command Area Development Programme (CADP) was launched in 1974 during the Fourth-Fifth Plan transition to optimise irrigation utilisation. • **Gap-bridging purpose** — It focused on bridging the gap between irrigation potential created by dams and actual utilisation through field channels and water management. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: 1980: CADP was launched in 1974, not 1980; 1985: 1985 marks the start of the Seventh Plan, not the CADP launch; 1970: CADP was not launched in 1970.

Correct Answer: A. Eighth Plan

• **Eighth Plan** = The Eighth Five Year Plan (1992-97) prioritised the modernisation and structural transformation of Indian industry in the post-liberalisation era. • **Industrial licensing abolished** — It coincided with the removal of industrial licensing (except for a few sensitive sectors) and opening up to foreign investment. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Seventh Plan: the Seventh Plan focused on 'Food, Work and Productivity' and employment schemes; Ninth Plan: the Ninth Plan focused on 'Growth with Social Justice'; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan focused on poverty alleviation through direct anti-poverty programmes.

Correct Answer: B. Seventh Plan

• **Seventh Plan** = The National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) was launched during the Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-90). • **Holistic natural resource management** — It used an integrated approach to manage soil and water resources to improve agricultural productivity in rain-dependent regions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Eighth Plan: the Eighth Plan focused on LPG reforms and human resource development; Ninth Plan: it continued watershed development but NWDPRA was launched in the Seventh Plan; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan focused on IRDP and anti-poverty measures.

Correct Answer: B. NREP and RLEGP

• **NREP and RLEGP** = JRY was launched in 1989 by merging the National Rural Employment Programme (NREP) and the Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP). • **Panchayat implementation** — It was implemented through village panchayats, which received 80% of the funds directly. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: MNP and DWCRA: MNP is the Minimum Needs Programme and DWCRA is a women's scheme; they were not merged to form JRY; IRDP and TRYSEM: IRDP is the Integrated Rural Development Programme and TRYSEM is a youth training scheme; DPAP and DDP: these are drought-area development programmes, not employment schemes merged into JRY.

Correct Answer: B. Third Plan

• **Third Plan** = The Third Five Year Plan introduced the 'commodity balance' method to match the demand and supply of critical goods. • **Bottleneck prevention** — It aimed to prevent production bottlenecks in essential commodities like food grains, steel, and cement through systematic demand-supply matching. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: First Plan: the First Plan used the Harrod-Domar framework and did not formally use the commodity balance approach; Fourth Plan: it focused on stability and agricultural growth after the Plan Holiday; Second Plan: it used input-output analysis based on the Mahalanobis model.

Correct Answer: C. Tenth Plan

• **Tenth Plan** = The Kudumbashree women empowerment and poverty eradication programme of Kerala gained national prominence during the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07). • **2 million women in SHGs** — It mobilised over 2 million women through neighbourhood groups and self-help groups, becoming a national model for community-based planning. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Twelfth Plan: Kudumbashree's national recognition came during the Tenth Plan, not the Twelfth; Ninth Plan: Kudumbashree was launched in 1998 and became prominent in the Tenth Plan; Eleventh Plan: it advanced inclusive growth but Kudumbashree gained national model status in the Tenth Plan.

Correct Answer: A. Tenth Plan

• **Tenth Plan** = The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-07) set a target to reduce gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by at least 50% by 2007. • **Gender inequality as barrier** — It formally recognised gender inequality as a major barrier to inclusive development and made it a measurable goal. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Twelfth Plan: the Twelfth Plan focused on sustainable growth broadly; Ninth Plan: the Ninth Plan introduced the Women Component Plan but did not set the 50% gender gap reduction target; Eleventh Plan: it advanced inclusive growth but the gender gap reduction target was set in the Tenth Plan.

Correct Answer: B. Seventh Plan

• **Seventh Plan** = The Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) was launched as a sub-scheme of RLEGP in 1985 during the Seventh Five Year Plan. • **Became independent in 1996** — IAY became a fully independent housing scheme in 1996 and was later renamed Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Eighth Plan: IAY was launched in 1985 under the Seventh Plan, not the Eighth; Ninth Plan: IAY became independent in 1996 during the Ninth Plan but was originally launched in the Seventh; Sixth Plan: the Sixth Plan ran from 1980-85 and IAY was launched at the beginning of the Seventh Plan in 1985.