Five Year Plans of India: The Short Answer
India had twelve Five Year Plans from 1951 to 2017, prepared by the Planning Commission (set up on 15 March 1950, chaired by the Prime Minister). The 1st Plan (1951–56) focused on agriculture and followed the Harrod–Domar model; the 2nd Plan (1956–61) focused on heavy industry using the Mahalanobis model. The last, the 12th Plan (2012–17), aimed at "faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth". On 1 January 2015 the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog, and Five Year Plans ended after the 12th Plan.
Key takeaway for SSC and bank exams: SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS, RRB NTPC and bank GA sections regularly ask the period of a plan, its focus or slogan, the model it followed, the plan holidays and the year NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission. Learn the table below in order; most questions are direct matches.
For more Indian economy and history GK, see our monetary policy tools of RBI and important constitutional amendments list.
Five Year Plans of India List (1st to 12th Plan Table)
| Plan | Period | Main focus / theme | Key facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1951–56 | Agriculture, irrigation, power | Based on the Harrod–Domar model; generally regarded as successful |
| 2nd | 1956–61 | Rapid industrialisation, heavy and basic industries | Mahalanobis model; steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela |
| 3rd | 1961–66 | Self-reliant and self-generating economy | Also called the Gadgil Yojana; hit by the 1962 and 1965 wars and drought |
| Plan holiday | 1966–69 | Three Annual Plans | Green Revolution began in this period |
| 4th | 1969–74 | Growth with stability and progressive self-reliance | Bank nationalisation (14 banks) in 1969 |
| 5th | 1974–79 (ended 1978) | Removal of poverty (Garibi Hatao) and self-reliance | Ended a year early by the Janata government |
| Rolling Plan | 1978–80 | Annual rolling plans | Introduced by the Janata government |
| 6th | 1980–85 | Poverty removal, employment | IRDP and other anti-poverty programmes expanded |
| 7th | 1985–90 | "Food, work and productivity" | Focus on employment and modernisation |
| Annual Plans | 1990–92 | Two Annual Plans | Balance of payments crisis of 1991 |
| 8th | 1992–97 | Human resource development; start of the reform era | Followed the 1991 liberalisation (LPG) reforms |
| 9th | 1997–2002 | Growth with social justice and equality | 50th year of Independence |
| 10th | 2002–07 | Doubling per capita income in ten years; reducing poverty | States given targets; aimed at about 8% growth |
| 11th | 2007–12 | "Faster and more inclusive growth" | Focus on education, health and inclusion |
| 12th | 2012–17 | "Faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth" | Last Five Year Plan |
Five Year Plans Explained in Brief (Plan-by-Plan Summary)
1st Plan (1951–56): India faced food shortages after Partition, so the plan put money into agriculture, irrigation and power projects such as the Bhakra Nangal and Hirakud dams. Good monsoons helped it meet its targets.
2nd Plan (1956–61): Drawn up on P. C. Mahalanobis's model, it shifted investment to heavy industry. Public sector steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela were set up in this period.
3rd Plan (1961–66): It aimed at a self-reliant economy but fell short because of the 1962 war with China, the 1965 war with Pakistan and a severe drought in 1965–66. This led to the plan holiday of 1966–69.
4th and 5th Plans (1969–79): The 4th Plan sought growth with stability and saw bank nationalisation in 1969. The 5th Plan carried the Garibi Hatao goal and was ended in 1978 by the new Janata government, which introduced the Rolling Plan.
6th and 7th Plans (1980–90): These focused on poverty removal, employment and productivity, with rural employment programmes expanding.
8th to 12th Plans (1992–2017): After the 1991 crisis and reforms, plans became indicative rather than controlling, with stress on human development, social justice, inclusive growth and, finally, sustainability.
Why India Ended Five Year Plans
By the 2010s, much of the economy was driven by private investment and markets, so centrally fixed plan targets mattered less. States also wanted more say in their own development spending. In 2014 the government announced that the Planning Commission would be replaced, and NITI Aayog started on 1 January 2015 as a policy think tank based on co-operative federalism. After the 12th Plan ended in March 2017, India moved to NITI Aayog's longer-term vision documents and strategy papers instead of a 13th Five Year Plan.
Five Year Plans Trick to Remember (Focus in Order)
A simple chain to remember the focus of the first eight plans:
Agriculture → Industry → Self-reliance → (holiday) → Stability → Garibi Hatao → (rolling) → Poverty and jobs → Food-Work-Productivity → (annual) → Human development
Then remember the last four by their slogans: justice with growth (9th), double income (10th), inclusive (11th), sustainable (12th).
Planning Commission and NITI Aayog Facts
| Fact | Planning Commission | NITI Aayog |
|---|---|---|
| Set up | 15 March 1950 (by a Cabinet resolution) | 1 January 2015 (by a Cabinet resolution) |
| Chairperson | Prime Minister (first: Jawaharlal Nehru) | Prime Minister |
| Full form | — | National Institution for Transforming India |
| Nature | Non-constitutional, non-statutory body | Non-constitutional, non-statutory body; a policy think tank |
| Approach | Top-down plans and fund allocation to states | Co-operative federalism, advisory role |
Other related bodies: the National Development Council (NDC), set up in 1952, approved the Five Year Plans and included the Prime Minister, Union Cabinet ministers and Chief Ministers. NITI Aayog has a Governing Council of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors.
Models Behind the Five Year Plans
| Model | Plan | Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Harrod–Domar model | 1st | Growth depends on savings and investment, with agriculture and infrastructure as the base |
| Mahalanobis model | 2nd | Invest in heavy and capital goods industries for long-run growth (P. C. Mahalanobis) |
| Gadgil formula / Gadgil Yojana | 3rd (name), and the 1969 formula for central assistance to states | Named after D. R. Gadgil, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission |
| Rao–Manmohan model | 8th | Market-friendly reforms after the 1991 crisis (P. V. Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh) |
Important Programmes Launched During the Five Year Plans
| Programme | Year | Plan period |
|---|---|---|
| Community Development Programme | 1952 | 1st Plan |
| Green Revolution (high-yielding varieties) | 1966 onwards | Plan holiday |
| Nationalisation of 14 banks | 1969 | 4th Plan |
| Twenty Point Programme | 1975 | 5th Plan |
| Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) | 1978 (extended nationwide 1980) | Rolling Plan / 6th Plan |
| Jawahar Rozgar Yojana | 1989 | 7th Plan |
| Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan | 2001 | 9th Plan |
| National Rural Health Mission | 2005 | 10th Plan |
| NREGA (now MGNREGA) | 2006 (Act passed 2005) | 10th Plan |
These programme-to-plan matches are a favourite SSC question type ("During which Five Year Plan was … launched?").
Five Year Plans: Common Exam Traps
- The 2nd Plan (not the 1st) followed the Mahalanobis model.
- Plan holiday was 1966–69, after the 3rd Plan, with three annual plans.
- The 5th Plan ended in 1978, a year early; the Rolling Plan ran 1978–80.
- NITI Aayog was set up on 1 January 2015, not 2014.
- The 12th Plan (2012–17) was the last; no 13th Five Year Plan was made.
Five Year Plans of India Questions (Practice Set with Answers)
- When was the Planning Commission set up? Answer: 15 March 1950.
- Which Five Year Plan focused mainly on agriculture? Answer: The 1st Plan (1951–56).
- Which plan was based on the Mahalanobis model? Answer: The 2nd Plan (1956–61).
- What was the period of the plan holiday? Answer: 1966–69.
- Which plan gave the slogan Garibi Hatao? Answer: The 5th Plan.
- In which year did NITI Aayog replace the Planning Commission? Answer: 2015 (1 January).
- What was the theme of the 11th Plan? Answer: Faster and more inclusive growth.
- Which was the last Five Year Plan? Answer: The 12th Plan (2012–17).
- During which plan were 14 major banks nationalised? Answer: The 4th Plan (1969).
- Who was the first chairman of the Planning Commission? Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru.
For timed practice, take the SSC CGL GK Mini Mock Test 01 and the SSC CHSL GK Mini Mock Test 01.
Five Year Plans of India FAQs
How many Five Year Plans were there in India?
Twelve, from the 1st Plan (1951–56) to the 12th Plan (2012–17). After that, the Five Year Plan system was ended and NITI Aayog took over policy planning.
Which Five Year Plan is called the Mahalanobis Plan?
The 2nd Five Year Plan (1956–61), which focused on rapid industrialisation and heavy industries, based on the model of P. C. Mahalanobis.
What is a plan holiday?
The period from 1966 to 1969, when no Five Year Plan was in force after the troubled 3rd Plan. Three annual plans were run instead.
When was NITI Aayog formed?
On 1 January 2015, replacing the Planning Commission. Its full form is National Institution for Transforming India, and the Prime Minister is its chairperson.
What was the focus of the 1st Five Year Plan?
Agriculture, irrigation and power, following the Harrod–Domar growth model, to recover from food shortages after Independence and Partition.
What was the theme of the 12th Five Year Plan?
"Faster, more inclusive and sustainable growth", for the period 2012 to 2017.
Which Five Year Plan was ended before its full term?
The 5th Five Year Plan (1974–79) was ended in 1978, one year early, by the Janata Party government, which then introduced the Rolling Plan for 1978–80.
What is the difference between the Planning Commission and NITI Aayog?
The Planning Commission made Five Year Plans and allocated funds to states from the top down. NITI Aayog is an advisory think tank that works with states on policy through co-operative federalism and does not allocate plan funds.
Practice Next
- Mock tests: SSC CGL GK Mini Mock Test 01, SSC CHSL GK Mini Mock Test 01 and SSC CGL Polity Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: bank merger list 2026, monetary policy tools of RBI, directive principles of state policy and fundamental duties and important constitutional amendments list, plus national income concepts (GDP, GNP, NNP).
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026 and SSC CHSL 2026.
- Browse all study notes.