First Plan (1951-56)

The First Plan stressed more on agriculture, in view of large scale import of food grains and inflationary pressures on the economy. Other areas of emphasis were power and transport. The annual average growth rate during the First Plan was estimated as 3.61% as against a target of 2.1%. Renowned economist KN Raj was one of the architects of first five-year plan.

Second Plan (1956-61)

With agricultural targets of previous plan achieved, focus was on the establishment of heavy industries. The Plan achieved a more than targeted growth rate of 4.32%. Aim was to give a big push to the economy so that it enters the take off stage. It was based on Nehru-Mahalanobis model- self-reliance and basic industry driven growth.

Third Plan (1961-66)

It tried to balance industry and agriculture. The aim of Third Plan was to establish a self sustaining economy. For the first time, India resorted to borrowing from IMF. Rupee was also devalued for the first time in 1996. India's conflict with Pakistan and repeated droughts also contributed in the failure of this Plan.

Annual Plan (Istplan holiday)

As the Third Plan failed due to war with China in 1962 and Pakistan in 1965;  floods and draughts in diff areas; inflation; forex crisis etc,  the Fourth Plan could not be started from 1966. There were three annual plans till 1969. This period is called Ist plan holiday. Three Annual Plans were: 1966-67, 1967-68 and 1968-69.

The prevailing crisis in agriculture and serious food shortage necessitated the emphasis on agriculture during the Annual Plans. During these plans a whole new agricultural  strategy involving wide spread distribution of High yielding Varieties of seeds, the extensive use of fertilizers , exploitation of irrigation potential and soil conservation were put into action to tide-over the crisis n agricultural production.

During the Annual Plans, the economy basically absorbed the shocks given during the Third Plan, making way for a planned growth.

Fourth Plan (1969-74)

The main objective of this Plan was growth with stability. The Plan laid special emphasis on improving the condition of the under-privileged and weaker sections through provision of education and employment. Reducing the fluctuations in agricultural production was also a point of emphasis of this Plan. The Plan aimed at a target growth of 5.7% and the achievement against this was 3.21 %.

Fifth Plan (1974-79)

The fifth plan prepared and launched by D.D.Dhar proposed to achieve Growth for Social Justice, two main objectives  were  ‘removal of poverty’ (GaribiHatao) and ‘attainment of self-reliance’, through promotion of high rate of growth, better distribution of income and a very significant growth in the domestic rate of savings. It was cut short by a year by the Janata Party govt. that came to power in 1977.

Sixth Plan (1980-1985)

Removal of poverty was the foremost objective of Sixth Plan. Another area of emphasis was infrastructure, which was to be strengthened for development of both industry and agriculture. The achieved growth rate of 5.7% was more than the targeted one.

Seventh Plan (1985-90)

This Plan stressed on rapid growth in food-grains production and increase in employment opportunities. The growth rate of 5.81% achieved in this Plan was more than targeted one. liberalization of Indian economy began.

Annual plans / IInd Plan holiday

The 8th Plan could not start in 1990 due to economic crisis and political instability. There were two annual plans 1990-1991, 1991-1992.

Eighth Plan (1992-1997)

This was our first plan based on indicative planning model, it was prepared to facilitate the transition from a centrally planned economy to market led economy , it was formulated keeping in view the process of economic reforms and restructuring of the economy. It aimed

• To stabilize the adverse balance of payment scenario sustainably.
• Improvement in trade and current account deficit.
• Human development as main focus of planning.

The Plan was formulated in a way so as to manage the transition. The annual average rate of growth was 6.5% which was higher than targeted 5.6%. The Plan was based on Rao-Manmohan Singh model of liberalization.

Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002)

It was developed in the context of four important dimensions: Quality of Life, generation of productive employment, regional balance and self-reliance.

Rate of growth achieved was 5.4% as compared to target annual average growth rate of 6.5 per cent for the economy as a whole.  It targated a high domestic saving rate of 26.1% and investment rate of 28.2 per cent of GDP at market prices.

Tenth Plan (2002-2007)

Its objectives included achieving the growth rate of 8%, reduction of poverty ratio to 20%by 2007 and to 10%by 2012, universal access to primary education by 2007, increase in literacy rate to 72% within the plan period and to 80% by 2012.

Eleventh Plan (2007-2012)

Government set an average annual growth target of 9 per .to accelerate growth rate of GDP from 8% to 10% and then maintain at 10% in the 12^th plan in order to double per capita income by 2016-17.

• Agricultural GDP growth rate target was 4% per year to ensure a food security to nation.
• Create 70 million new work opportunities.
•  Reduce educated unemployment to below 5%.
• Reduce poverty by 10 percentage points
• Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52.2% in 2003-04 to 20% by 2011-12.
• Increase literacy rate for persons of age 7 years or more to 85%.        
• Reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) to 28 and maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to 1 per 1000 live births.
• Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1.
• Raise the sex ratio for age group 0-6 to 935 by 2011-12 and to 950 by 2016-17.
• Ensure that at least 33 percent of the direct and indirect beneficiaries of all government schemes are women and girl children
• Ensure electricity connection to all village and BPL households by 2009 and round clock power by the end of the plan.
• Ensure all-weather road connection to all habitation with population 1000 and above (500 in hilly and tribal areas) by 2009, and ensure coverage of all significant habitation by 2015
• Treat all urban waste water by 2011-12 to clean river waters.
• Increase forest and free cover by 5% points.

MONITORABLE TARGETS SET BY THE 12TH PLAN

The 12th Plan (2012-17) has set Monitorable Targets in seven broad areas reflecting its (India’s) vision of rapid, sustainable and more inclusive growth.

Economic Growth

1.   Real GDP Growth Rate of 8 per cent.

2.   Agriculture Growth Rate of 4.0 per cent.

3.   Manufacturing Growth Rate of 10.0 per cent.

4.   Every State must have an average growth rate in the Twelfth Plan preferably higher than that achieved in the Eleventh Plan.

Poverty And Employment

5.   Head-count ratio of consumption poverty to be reduced by 10 percentage points over the preceding estimates by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

6.   Generate 50 million new work opportunities in the non-farm sector and provide skill certification to equivalent numbers during the Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Education

7.   Mean Years of schooling to increase to seven years by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

8.   Enhance access to higher education by creating, two million additional seats for each age cohort aligned to the skill needs of the economy.

9.   Eliminate gender and social gap in school enrolment (that is, between girls and boys, and between SCs, STs, Muslims and the rest of the population) by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Health

10. Reduce IMR to 25 and MMR to 1 per 1,000 live births, and improve Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) to 950 by the end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan.

11.       Reduce Total Fertility Rate to 2.1 by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

12.       Reduce under-nutrition among children Aged 0-3 year to half of the NFHS-3 levels by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Infrastructure, Including Rural Infrastructure

13. Increase investment in infrastructure as a percentage of GDP to 9 per cent by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

14. Increase the Gross Irrigated Area from 90 million hectare to 103 million hectare by the end of Twelfth Five year Plan.

15.       Provide electricity to all villages and reduce AT&C losses to 20 per cent by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

16.       Connect all villages with all-weather roads by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan. tur

17. Upgrade national and state highways to the minimum two-lane standard by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

18.       Complete Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

19.       Increase rural tele-density to 70 per cent by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

20.       Ensure 50 per cent of rural population has access to 40 lpcd piped drinking water supply, and 50 per cent gram panchayats achieve Nirmal Gram Status by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

Environment And Sustainability

21.       Increase green cover (as measured by satellite imagery) by 1 million hectare every-year during the Twelfth Five Year Plan.

22.       Add 30,000 MW of renewable energy capacity in the Twelfth Plan.

23.       Reduce emission intensity of GDP in line with the target of 20 per cent to 25 per cent reduction over 2005 levels by 2020.

Service Delivery

24.       Provide access to banking services to 90 per cent Indian households by the end of Twelfth Five Year Plan.

25. Major subsidies and welfare related beneficiary payments to be shifted to a direct cash transfer by the end of the Twelfth Plan, using the Aadhar platform with linked bank accounts.

Growth Performance In The Five Year Plans (Per Cent Per Annum)