Question

Which among the following are features of the Fifth Five year plan?

1. The final draft of the plan was prepared by D.P. Dhar.
2. It is primarily focused on 'Garibi Hatao'.
3. The target growth rate was 4.4% while the actual growth rate was 4.8%.
4. Emphasised on employment in contrast to Nehru model.

• A. 3, 4
• B. All
• C. 1, 2, 3
• D. 1 only

Answer 1

Answer:

C. 1, 2, 3

The Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-1979)

• The Fifth Five-Year Plan was formulated for the period 1974-1979. However, it was terminated one year early in 1978 by the Janata Party government, which came to power in 1977.
• The final draft of this plan was indeed prepared by D.P. Dhar, a prominent economist and politician who served as the Minister of Planning.
• One of the primary objectives and a defining characteristic of the Fifth Plan was its focus on 'Garibi Hatao' (Poverty Eradication) and the attainment of self-reliance. This slogan was popularized by Indira Gandhi during the 1971 general elections.
• The plan aimed for a target growth rate of 4.4%. Impressively, the actual growth rate achieved during this period was 4.8%, exceeding the target. This indicates a relatively successful economic performance despite the global oil crisis of the 1970s.
• A significant program introduced during the Fifth Five-Year Plan was the Minimum Needs Programme (MNP). This program aimed to provide essential social services and improve the living standards of the poor, focusing on areas like primary education, rural health, rural water supply, rural roads, rural electrification, housing for the landless, and environmental improvement of urban slums.
• While employment generation was an integral part of the poverty alleviation strategy, the statement that it 'emphasized employment in contrast to the Nehru model' can be misleading. The Nehru model (primarily the Second Five-Year Plan) focused heavily on heavy industries to build a strong industrial base. Subsequent plans, including the Fifth, broadened the scope to include social justice and poverty alleviation, which naturally involved employment generation, but it wasn't a direct 'contrast' in terms of rejecting industrialization. Employment was a means to achieve poverty eradication and self-reliance.
• After the termination of the Fifth Plan by the Janata Party government, a 'Rolling Plan' was introduced for the period 1978-1980. This concept allowed for annual adjustments to the plan based on economic conditions, rather than a fixed five-year period.