Question

Arrange the following events in chronological order:
(i) P.C. Mahalanobis led a Five-Year Plan.
(ii) K.N. Raj was involved in drafting the First Five-Year Plan.
(iii) The 'Bombay Plan' was drafted.
(iv) The Planning Commission was set up.

• A. (iii), (iv), (ii), (i)
• B. (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)
• C. (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)
• D. (iv), (iii), (i), (ii)

Hint:

Use pre-independence anchors to quickly solve chronological tasks. The Bombay Plan (1944) is the only pre-independence event, meaning it must appear first. This instantly leaves you to choose between options (A) and (C).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Identifying the Year of the Bombay Plan (iii):
In 1944, a group of eight influential Indian industrialists (including J.R.D. Tata and G.D. Birla) jointly drafted a proposal for state-supported economic development, popularly known as the “Bombay Plan.” This pre-independence milestone represents the earliest event in the list.

Step 2: Identifying the Establishment of the Planning Commission (iv):
Following India's independence, the Planning Commission was formally established on 15th March, 1950, through a government executive resolution, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as its chairperson.

Step 3: Identifying the First Five-Year Plan (ii):
The First Five-Year Plan (1951--1956) focused primarily on agricultural development. The young economist K.N. Raj was one of the key figures involved in drafting this plan, emphasizing a gradual approach to prevent inflation.

Step 4: Identifying the Second Five-Year Plan (i):
The Second Five-Year Plan (1956--1961) targeted heavy industrialization. It was formulated and led by the legendary Indian statistician and physicist Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis (and is often called the Nehru-Mahalanobis model).

Step 5: Establishing the Chronological Order:
The sequential order is: $$\text{(iii) } 1944 \rightarrow \text{(iv) } 1950 \rightarrow \text{(ii) } 1951 \rightarrow \text{(i) } 1956$$ This corresponds precisely to Option (A).