Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context — Practice

Question 1

What is sustainable development? Explain its three pillars with examples.

Accepted Answer

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: 'Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' — Brundtland Commission, 1987 (Our Common Future). THREE PILLARS: (1) ECONOMIC PILLAR: Economic growth that efficiently uses resources and creates employment without depleting the resource base. Example: India's solar energy expansion (500 GW by 2030 target) creates clean energy for current needs while reducing fossil fuel consumption for future generations. Economic productivity improves without increasing carbon emissions. (2) SOCIAL PILLAR: Equitable access to education, health, housing, and opportunities for all sections of society — present and future. Example: India's Midday Meal Scheme (providing free meals in government schools) addresses present hunger AND improves school attendance and learning outcomes for future productivity. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao improves girls' education access — equity for present generation + better human capital for future. (3) ENVIRONMENTAL PILLAR: Protecting natural resources, biodiversity, and ecosystems for future generations. Example: India's social forestry and Joint Forest Management programmes — local communities are involved in protecting forests while using sustainable forest products (non-timber forest products) — preserving biodiversity for the future while supporting present livelihoods. The Chipko Movement (1973, Uttarakhand) was an early example of communities protecting forests for long-term environmental sustainability.

Question 2

Compare the Planning Commission and NITI Aayog. Why was the Planning Commission dissolved?

Accepted Answer

PLANNING COMMISSION (1950–2014): STRUCTURE: Set up in 1950 by executive resolution. Chaired by Prime Minister. Deputy Chairman = effective head. Non-constitutional body. FUNCTIONS: Formulated Five-Year Plans. Allocated development resources from Centre to states. Approved state plans. Set national development priorities. CRITICISM: (1) Top-down, one-size-fits-all approach ignored state diversity. (2) States were 'supplicants' to the Planning Commission — having to come to Delhi to get plan approvals and funds. (3) Centralised command economy model was outdated after 1991 liberalisation. (4) Became a bureaucratic body rather than a dynamic institution. (5) Poor implementation monitoring — plans often missed targets. NITI AAYOG (National Institution for Transforming India, 2015–present): STRUCTURE: Chaired by PM. CEO as executive head. Vice Chairperson. Governing Council includes ALL Chief Ministers. FUNCTIONS: Policy research and think tank. Provides long-term vision (15-year Vision Document, 7-year Strategy, 3-year Action Agenda). Monitors SDGs (SDG India Index). Does NOT allocate funds — that responsibility transferred to Finance Commission and Ministry of Finance. Promotes cooperative federalism — states as equal partners. KEY DIFFERENCES: Planning Commission = resource allocator, top-down, one-way. NITI Aayog = advisory, bottom-up inputs from states, multi-directional. WHY DISSOLVED: The Planning Commission model suited a closed, state-dominated economy (1950s-1980s). After liberalisation (1991) and decentralisation (73rd/74th Constitutional Amendments, 1992), states needed more autonomy. Goods and Services Tax (GST), direct tax devolution to states, and private sector-led growth made central plan allocation less relevant.

Question 3

Explain the regional disparities in development in India. What measures has the government taken to reduce them?

Accepted Answer

REGIONAL DISPARITIES IN INDIA: India exhibits some of the world's most extreme intra-national development disparities. KEY INDICATORS OF DISPARITY: (1) PER CAPITA INCOME: Goa (~₹5.5 lakh/year) is 8x Bihar's per capita income (~₹55,000/year). Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi are in the top tier; Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Odisha in the bottom. (2) LITERACY: Kerala 94% vs Bihar 62% (2011). Gender gap: Rajasthan's female literacy (~52.7%) vs Kerala female literacy (~92%). (3) INFANT MORTALITY RATE: Kerala: 4 deaths/1000 live births (comparable to European countries). UP/MP: 30–35 deaths/1000 live births. (4) HDI: Kerala would rank ~50th globally; Bihar would rank ~150th. (5) INFRASTRUCTURE: Maharashtra has motorable roads in 95%+ of villages; some Chhattisgarh tribal districts have no all-weather roads. CAUSES: HISTORICAL: British railways and infrastructure investment concentrated in coastal and commercial centres (Bombay, Calcutta, Madras) and along export crop hinterlands. Interior, tribal, and eastern regions were underinvested. GEOGRAPHICAL: Landlocked interior states (UP, Bihar) had less trade access. Forest and hill terrain (Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha) made connectivity expensive. SOCIAL: High caste discrimination in northern India suppresses scheduled caste and tribe development. Low female literacy in BIMARU states (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, UP) depresses HDI. ECONOMIC: Mineral wealth in Jharkhand/Chhattisgarh/Odisha is extracted with minimal local value addition — 'resource curse' phenomenon. POLICY RESPONSES: (1) BACKWARD REGIONS GRANT FUND (BRGF): Special central assistance to identified backward districts for infrastructure. (2) TRIBAL SUB-PLAN (now SCHEDULED TRIBE COMPONENT): Proportional allocation of development funds (>8% of plan funds) for scheduled tribe welfare. (3) FOREST RIGHTS ACT (2006): Giving tribal communities rights over forest land they inhabit — addressing historical dispossession. PESA Act (1996): Gram Sabha powers in tribal areas. (4) ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMME (2018, NITI Aayog): 112 most backward districts given monthly performance rankings and focused resources on 5 development themes (health, nutrition, education, agriculture, financial inclusion). States with most aspirational districts: Uttar Pradesh (8), Bihar (13), Jharkhand (19). (5) PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana): All-weather roads to all habitations >500 people (>250 in hilly/tribal areas). Over 7 lakh km of rural roads built since 2000 — reducing geographic isolation of backward regions. (6) MGNREGA (2005): Rural employment guarantee — 100 days of unskilled work per household/year. Reduces distress migration, provides income floor. Bihar and UP are largest beneficiaries. (7) FINANCE COMMISSION DEVOLUTION: 41% of central taxes devolved to states (15th Finance Commission). Horizontal allocation formula favours poorer states (Bihar/UP receive more per capita than Maharashtra/Tamil Nadu). ASSESSMENT: Despite policies, the disparity persists — Kerala's HDI continues to pull ahead of Bihar's because the QUALITY of governance, education delivery, and social policy matters as much as the quantity of funds allocated. The lesson: money is necessary but not sufficient; institutional quality and social capital determine outcomes.

Practice — Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context

Sign in to save attempts to your dashboard and track your accuracy over time

Find a verified tutor

Join a live course

Browse coaching centres

About

Categories

Support

Documentation

Get Study Tips & Updates

Download Our App

Download for iOS

Download for Android

Popular Cities