With reference to India's Five-Year Plans, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. From the Second Five-Year Plan, there was a determined thrust towards substitution of basic and capital good industries. 2. The Fourth Five-Year Plan adopted the objective of correcting the earlier trend of increased concentration of wealth and economic power. 3. In the Fifth Five-Year Plan, for the first time, the financial sector was included as an integral part of the Plan. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 and 2 only
- B.2 only
- C.3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 describe real turns in Indian planning, while statement 3 does not. The Second Plan (1956–61) was built on the Mahalanobis model, which gave priority to heavy industry and aimed to replace imports of basic and capital goods such as steel and machinery with home production, so statement 1 is correct. The Fourth Plan (1969–74), set the goals of growth with stability and of reversing the earlier trend towards concentration of wealth and economic power, so statement 2 is correct. The Fifth Plan (1974–79) focused on removal of poverty (garibi hatao) and self-reliance; it was not the plan that first made the financial sector an integral part of planning, so statement 3 is wrong. Option B is wrong because it leaves out statement 1. Option C is wrong because statement 3 is false. Option D is wrong because it includes statement 3. Exam tip: Second Plan = Mahalanobis and heavy industry; Fourth Plan = growth with stability; Fifth Plan = garibi hatao.
Practice Questions
View allThe Fourteenth Finance Commission assigned different weights to the following parameters for distribution of tax proceeds to the States :
1. Income distance
2. Population
3. Demographic changes
4. Area
Arrange the aforesaid parameters in descending order in terms of their weights.
- A.1-2-3-4
- B.1-2-4-3
- C.1-3-2-4
- D.4-3-2-1
Show answer
Income distance had the highest weight, followed by population, area and demographic change. The Fourteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Y.V.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements for a firm's equilibrium in Perfect Competition is not correct ?
- A.The market price must be greater or equal to average variable cost in the short run.
- B.The market price must be equal to marginal cost.
- C.The market price must be equal to average cost in the long run.
- D.The marginal cost decreases at the equilibrium output.
Show answer
This statement is not correct, because at the equilibrium of a competitive firm marginal cost must be rising. A firm in perfect competition is a price taker, so the price it gets equals its marginal revenue.
Read the full explanation →Plan allocation in agriculture and irrigation as percentage of total plan outlay was highest in :
- A.Seventh Five-Year Plan
- B.Third Five-Year Plan
- C.First Five-Year Plan
- D.Second Five-Year Plan
Show answer
The First Plan (1951 to 1956) gave agriculture, community development and irrigation about a third of its outlay, the highest share in any Indian plan.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is not included in the Capital Account of the Balance of Payments of a country?
- A.Foreign Direct Investment
- B.Commercial Borrowing
- C.Invisibles
- D.External Assistance
Show answer
Invisibles are part of the current account of the balance of payments, not the capital account. The balance of payments records all of a country's transactions with the rest of the world and has two main parts.
Read the full explanation →Which one among the following was the focus of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan?
- A.Sustainable and Inclusive Growth
- B.Social Justice and Equality
- C.Food, Work and Productivity
- D.Attainment of Self-reliance
Show answer
The Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-17) had the theme "Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth". It continued the inclusive-growth idea of the Eleventh Plan (2007-12), whose theme was "Towards Faster and More Inclusive Growth", and added sustainability as a stated goal.
Read the full explanation →