Planning commission

The Planning Commission was set up in March, 1950 by a Resolution of the Government of India which defined the scope of its work in the following terms :

"The Constitution of India has guaranteed certain Fundamental Rights to the citizens of India and enunciated certain Directive Principles of State Policy, in particular, that the State shall strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life, and shall direct its policy towards securing, among other things,

1. that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood ;
2. that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to sub-serve the common good ; and
3. that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment.

Having regard to these rights and in furtherance of these principles as well as of the declared objective of the Government to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people by efficient exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing production, and offering opportunities to all for employment in the service of the community.

The Planning Commission will;

1. make an assessment of the material, capital and human resources of the country, including technical personnel, and investigate the possibilities of augmenting such of these resources as are found to be deficient in relation to the nation's requirements ;
2. formulate a Plan for the most effective and balanced utilisation of the country's resources ;
3. on a determination of priorities, define the stages in which the Plan should be carried out and propose the allocation of resources for the due completion of each stage ;
4. indicate the factors which are tending to retard economic development, and determine the conditions which, in view of the current social and political situation, should be established for the successful execution of the Plan ;
5. determine the nature of the machinery which will be necessary for securing the successful implementation of each stage of the Plan in all its aspects ;
6. appraise from time to time the progress achieved in the execution of each stage of the Plan and recommend the adjustments of policy and measures that such appraisal may show to be necessary ; and
7. make such interim or ancillary recommendations as appear to it to be appropriate either for facilitating the discharge of the duties assigned to it ; or, on a consideration of the prevailing economic conditions, current policies, measures and development programmes ; or on an examination of such specific problems as may be referred to it for advice by Central or State Governments."

Formed

15 March 1950

It was established in accordance with article 39 of the constitution which is a part of directive principles of state policy.

Dissolved

2014

Planning commission has been replaced by new institution NITI Aayog.

Organisation

1. Prime Minister is the ex officio Chairman.

2. A nominated Deputy Chairman, with the rank of a Cabinet Minister.

3. Ex officio members of the Commission:

Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister, Home Minister, Health Minister, Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister, Information Technology Minister, Law Minister, HRD Minister and Minister of State for Planning.

4. Full-time members

5. Experts of various fields like economics, industry, science and general administration.