Planning in India

Indian planning is an open process. Much of the controversy and the debates that accompany the preparation of the plans are public. The initial aggregate calculations and assumptions are either explicitly stated or readily deducible, and the makers of the plans are not only sensitive but responsive to criticism and suggestions from a wide variety of national and international sources. From original formulation through successive modifications to parliamentary presentation, plan making in India has evolved as a responsive democratic political process.

Techniques of Indian Planning

Though Indian planning is an open process with broad political participation, it is also true that the latter has, for the most part, made itself felt on the marginal rather than on the central issues. This is in part because the central issues which relate to questions of welfare, income distribution, time preference, and the social control of economic activities have not always been adequately identified.

In addition to the Planning Commission and economic ministries there are other groups formally charged with economic planning responsibilities: The National Development Council, The advisory committees on problems of individual sectors, and a Consultative committee of members of Parliament. There are also informal groupings such as the consultative committee of the Prime Minister. For various reasons including inadequate staff, limited time, and, in some cases, with limited significance given to their roles, these groups have not provided guidance for informed political participation in the process of planning.

As a consequence, in the procedures for formulation of the plans there has been relatively little consideration of the specific composition of economic targets in the light of social preferences concerning present and future consumption subject to resource availabilities. These issues have tended to become prime subjects of political debate only under the pressure of a new budget embodying substantial tax increases or under the impact of price inflation.

Planning Commission
The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions.

Functions of Planning Commission

The Planning Commission's functions as outlined by the Government's 1950 resolution are following: To make an assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country, including technical personnel, and investigate the possibilities of augmenting those are related resources which are found to be deficient in relation to the nation's requirement. To formulate a plan for the most effective and balanced utilisation of country's resources. To define the stages, on the basis of priority, in which the plan should be carried out and propose the allocation of resources for the due completion of each stage.

 To indicate the factors that tend to retard economic development. To determine the conditions which need to be established for the successful execution of the plan within the incumbent socio-political situation of the country. To determine the nature of the machinery required for securing the successful implementation of each stage of the plan in all its aspects. To appraise from time to time the progress achieved in the execution of each stage of the plan and also recommend the adjustments of policy and measures which are deemed important vis-a-vis a successful implementation of the plan.

 To make necessary recommendations from time to time regarding those things which are deemed necessary for facilitating the execution of these functions. Such recommendations can be related to the prevailing economic conditions, current policies, measures or development programmes. They can even be given out in response to some specific problems referred to the commission by the central or the state governments.