Planning and NITI Aayog
Economic planning in India for UPSC: pre-independence plans, the Planning Commission, the twelve Five-Year Plans, and NITI Aayog's structure and role.
SyllabusGS III · Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
For sixty-five years India’s economic policy was organised around Five-Year Plans drawn up by the Planning Commission. In January 2015 the Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog, a policy think tank with a very different mandate. UPSC asks about both: the history as static facts, the change as a debate about federalism and the role of the State.
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: which plan followed which model, plan holidays and rolling plans, the status of the Planning Commission and NITI Aayog (neither is constitutional nor statutory), the composition of the NITI Governing Council, and indices that NITI publishes.
- Mains GS III: the relevance of planning in a market economy, cooperative and competitive federalism, and whether NITI Aayog has filled the gap left by the Planning Commission.
Key sub-topics
| Sub-topic | What to master |
|---|---|
| Pre-independence plans | Visvesvaraya, National Planning Committee, Bombay, Gandhian and People’s Plans |
| Planning Commission and NDC | Creation, status, functions, criticism |
| Five-Year Plans | Models, objectives, plan holiday, rolling plan |
| NITI Aayog | Structure, functions, indices, flagship initiatives |
| Debates | Planning vs markets; fund allocation after 2015 |
Begin with Planning in India and NITI Aayog, then revise with the quick revision sheet and practice questions.