Five Year Plan in India, History, Objectives, Complete List

The Five Year Plan in India was a systematic approach to economic development introduced after Independence to ensure planned use of resources and balanced growth. India implemented twelve Five Year Plans between 1951 and 2017, covering agriculture, industry, infrastructure, education, and welfare sectors. The planning system was discontinued after the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, and a more flexible policy framework under NITI Aayog replaced it, as discussed in detail in the article below.

What is Five Year Plan in India?

The Five Year Plan in India was a centralized economic planning mechanism under which the government set specific economic, social, and developmental targets to be achieved over a period of five years.

The planning process was formulated and implemented by the Planning Commission of India, which was established in 1950. Each plan outlined sector-wise priorities such as agriculture, industry, education, health, infrastructure, and social justice, keeping in view the country’s developmental needs.

Five Year Plan in India History

India adopted the Five Year Plan model in 1951 to achieve planned economic development after Independence, inspired by the Soviet Union’s centralized planning system. The plans aimed to address poverty, low industrial base, and uneven development through systematic resource allocation.

• Planning Commission was established in 1950 under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister
• First Five Year Plan (1951-56) focused mainly on agriculture and irrigation
• Early plans emphasized state-led industrialization and public sector growth
• Plan Holiday (1966-69) occurred due to wars, droughts, and economic instability
• Economic reforms in 1991 changed the planning approach toward liberalization
• Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17) was the last plan before discontinuation
• Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015
• Five Year Plans ended in 2017 to adopt a flexible and cooperative federal framework

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Five Year Plan in India Objectives

The major objectives of the Five Year Plans in India were:

• Economic Growth: Achieving rapid and sustained economic development by increasing national income and productivity.
• Self-Reliance: Reducing dependence on imports and promoting domestic production, especially in key industries.
• Social Justice: Reducing inequalities of income, wealth, and opportunities across regions and communities.
• Poverty Alleviation: Addressing unemployment, poverty, and underdevelopment through targeted programs.
• Balanced Regional Development: Ensuring equitable growth across states and backward regions.
• Modernization: Promoting technological advancement, industrial diversification, and human capital development.

List of Five Year Plan in India

India implemented Twelve Five Year Plans between 1951 and 2017 to guide economic and social development in a planned manner. These plans were formulated by the Planning Commission and focused on areas such as agriculture, industrialisation, poverty reduction, and inclusive growth. The Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-17) was the last plan, after which the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog and the planning system was discontinued.

First Five-Year Plan (1951-56)

• Marked the beginning of planned economic development in independent India, aiming to stabilise the economy after Partition.
• Presented to Parliament by Jawaharlal Nehru, reflecting a mixed economy approach with state intervention.
• K. N. Raj advocated a cautious growth path, arguing that India should “hasten slowly” to avoid inflation and instability.
• Priority was given to agriculture, irrigation, and food security, as nearly 70% of the population depended on agriculture.
• Large-scale investments were made in multipurpose river valley projects like Bhakra Nangal, Damodar Valley, and Hirakud.
• Based on the Harrod-Domar Model, stressing capital formation through higher savings and investment.
• Strengthened institutional framework by establishing five IITs to build technical manpower.
• Target growth rate: 2.1% | Achieved growth rate: 3.6%, indicating strong early success.

Second Five-Year Plan (1956-61)

• Shifted focus from agriculture to rapid industrialisation, especially heavy and capital goods industries.
• Planned under P. C. Mahalanobis, whose model prioritised long-term industrial capacity over short-term consumption.
• Emphasised development of public sector enterprises in steel, power, and machine tools.
• Established major steel plants at Bhilai, Rourkela, and Durgapur, laying the foundation of industrial India.
• Introduced import substitution by imposing high tariffs to protect domestic industries.
• Faced challenges of inflation, balance of payments pressure, and limited foreign exchange.
• Target growth rate: 4.5% | Actual growth rate: 4.27%.

Third Five-Year Plan (1961-66)

• Aimed to make India a self-reliant economy with balanced growth of agriculture and industry.
• Focused on wheat production, fertilisers, and agricultural expansion to reduce food imports.
• Greater decentralisation, assigning states more responsibility for education and development.
• Introduction of Panchayat elections strengthened democratic governance at the grassroots.
• External shocks such as the 1962 China war, 1965 Pakistan war, and consecutive droughts disrupted the plan.
• Severe fiscal stress and inflation led to poor outcomes.
• Target growth rate: 5.6% | Actual growth rate: 2.4%, resulting in plan failure.

Plan Holidays (1966-69)

• Implemented due to economic crisis following the failure of the Third Plan.
• Consisted of three Annual Plans focusing on short-term stabilization.
• Priority given to controlling inflation, food security, and restoring economic balance.

Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-74)

• Introduced under Indira Gandhi with an emphasis on correcting earlier distortions.
• Based on the Gadgil Formula, ensuring balanced regional development.
• Core objectives were growth with stability and self-reliance.
• Nationalisation of 14 banks expanded institutional credit to agriculture and small industries.
• Green Revolution significantly increased food grain production, especially wheat.
• Launch of Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) to address regional vulnerabilities.
• Target growth rate: 5.6% | Actual growth rate: 3.3%.

Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-78)

• Strongly focused on poverty alleviation and employment generation under the slogan Garibi Hatao.
• Emphasised redistribution of income and reduction of inequalities.
• Minimum Needs Programme (MNP) aimed at providing basic services like health, education, housing, and water.
• Expansion of power sector after amendment of the Electricity Supply Act, 1975.
• Development of the National Highway System to improve connectivity.
• Target growth rate: 4.4% | Actual growth rate: 4.8%.
• Discontinued in 1978 due to political change.

Rolling Plan (1978-80)

• Introduced by the Janata Party government to ensure flexibility in planning.
• Plans were revised annually based on performance evaluation.
• Allowed adjustments in targets and resource allocation each year.
• Abandoned after political transition in 1980.

Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-1985)

• Marked a major shift in India’s economic strategy, moving gradually from strict state control toward economic liberalisation.
• Considered the end of Nehruvian Socialism, as price controls, licensing, and excessive regulation were reduced.
• Focused on modernisation of industries, efficiency improvement, and technological upgradation.
• Introduced family planning and population control measures to address demographic pressure on resources.
• Strengthened rural and agricultural credit by establishing the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in 1982, based on the Shivaraman Committee’s recommendations.
• Prioritised development of energy, transport, and communication infrastructure to support industrial growth.
• Encouraged greater participation of the private sector while retaining a strong public sector presence.
• Target growth rate: 5.2%
• Actual growth rate: 5.7%, making it one of the more successful Five Year Plans.

Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-1990)

• Implemented under the leadership of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, focusing on technology-driven economic growth.
• Emphasised modernisation of industries through the adoption of computers, electronics, and telecommunications.
• Aimed to improve industrial productivity and efficiency, reducing reliance on outdated production methods.
• Strengthened anti-poverty initiatives and welfare schemes to promote social justice.
• Encouraged self-sustained economic growth, reducing long-term dependence on external assistance.
• Laid emphasis on food grain production to ensure food security and price stability.
• Promoted a shift towards a knowledge-based economy, laying groundwork for future IT sector growth.
• Aimed to achieve the prerequisites for self-reliant growth by the year 2000.

• Target growth rate: 5.0%
• Actual growth rate: 6.01%, indicating robust economic performance.

Annual Plans (1990-1992)

• The regular Five Year Plan framework was suspended due to political instability and severe economic crisis.
• India faced an acute balance of payments and foreign exchange crisis, with reserves barely sufficient for a few weeks of imports.
• High fiscal deficit, rising inflation, and declining industrial growth worsened economic conditions.
• These years acted as a transition phase before comprehensive structural reforms.
• Under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, India initiated Liberalisation, Privatisation, and Globalisation (LPG) reforms.
• Major measures included industrial delicensing, reduction in import tariffs, and encouragement of foreign investment.
• The role of the private sector was expanded, while government control over the economy was reduced.

Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-1997)

• The first Five Year Plan implemented after the 1991 economic reforms.
• Marked a decisive shift from centralised planning to a market-driven growth strategy.
• Focused on modernisation of industries, improving efficiency, and global competitiveness.
• Emphasised human resource development, especially in education, health, and skill formation.
• Aimed to control population growth, reduce poverty, and generate employment opportunities.
• Gave high priority to the development of infrastructure sectors such as power, roads, and telecommunications.
• Encouraged private sector participation and foreign direct investment (FDI).
• India became a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, integrating with the global economy.
• Target growth rate: 5.6%
• Actual growth rate: 6.8%, reflecting strong economic performance.

Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002)

• Implemented during the period marking 50 years of Indian Independence.
• Led under the Prime Ministership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Theme of the plan was “Growth with Social Justice.”
• Sought to balance rapid economic growth with improvement in quality of life.
• Emphasised poverty eradication, human development, and social sector expansion.
• Focused on empowering socially and economically backward classes.
• Aimed to ensure universal access to primary education and improve health outcomes.
• Encouraged public-private partnership (PPP) to accelerate economic development.
• Target growth rate: 7.1%
• Actual growth rate: 6.8%, slightly below expectations.

Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-2007)

• The Tenth Plan marked a clear shift towards inclusive and equitable economic growth.
• Aimed at achieving an average annual GDP growth of 8%, focusing on both growth and distribution.
• One of its key objectives was to reduce poverty by half during the plan period.
• Targeted creation of 80 million employment opportunities, especially in agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
• Emphasised reduction of regional disparities by promoting balanced development across states.
• Focused on strengthening education, health, and skill development to improve human capital.
• Sought to reduce gender inequality, particularly in education and wage employment.
• Target growth rate: 8.1%
• Actual growth rate: 7.6%, slightly below the target but considered relatively strong.

Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012)

• The theme of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan was “Faster and More Inclusive Growth.”
• Placed strong emphasis on social sector development, especially education, health, and skill formation.
• Aimed to expand access to higher education, including universities, distance learning, and IT institutes.
• The Right to Education Act (2009) was enacted, making free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 years.
• Focused on employment generation, particularly for youth, through skill development initiatives.
• Sought to reduce poverty, gender inequality, and regional imbalances.
• Emphasised environmental sustainability and sustainable use of natural resources.
• Prepared under the leadership of C. Rangarajan.
• Targeted provision of safe and clean drinking water for all.
• Target growth rate: 9%
• Actual growth rate: 8%, affected partly by the global financial crisis (2008).

Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-2017)

• The Twelfth Plan was the last –-Year Plan implemented in India.
• Its theme was “Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.”
• Focused on strengthening infrastructure, including power, roads, railways, and urban development.
• Aimed to ensure electricity access to all villages and improve energy efficiency.
• Emphasised reducing social and gender gaps in school and higher education enrolment.
• Promoted skill development and employment generation, especially in non-farm sectors.
• Stressed environmental sustainability, with a target to increase green cover by 1 million hectares annually.
• Encouraged innovation, improved governance, and better delivery of public services.

Initially targeted 9% growth, later revised to 8% by the National Development Council.