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:

Key Milestones of Early Indian Economic Planning: 1. Bombay Plan: 1944 (Pre-independence industrial agreement) 2. Planning Commission Setup: March 1950 3. First Five-Year Plan: 1951–1956 (Key architect: K.N. Raj, Focus: Agriculture) 4. Second Five-Year Plan: 1956–1961 (Key architect: P.C. Mahalanobis, Focus: Heavy Industry)

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: To arrange historical events in chronological sequence, we must determine the exact year in which each event occurred during the historical development of economic planning in post-independence India.

Step 1: Identifying the timeline for each event listed.

• Event (iii): The 'Bombay Plan' was drafted (1944)
In $1944$, a section of big industrialists (including J.R.D. Tata, G.D. Birla, Purshotamdas Thakurdas, etc.) came together to draft a joint proposal for setting up a planned economy in the country. This joint proposal was known as the 'Bombay Plan'. It advocated state initiatives and investments in infrastructure and basic industries.
• Event (iv): The Planning Commission was set up (March 1950)
The Planning Commission of India was established by an executive resolution of the Cabinet of the Union Government of India in March 1950 . Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was its first Chairman.
• Event (ii): K.N. Raj was involved in drafting the First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956)
The First Five-Year Plan draft was published in 1951 and formally launched in December 1951 . A young economist, K.N. Raj, played a prominent role in drafting the plan document, emphasizing a slow and steady growth rate in agriculture to prevent inflation.
• Event (i): P.C. Mahalanobis led a Five-Year Plan (1956–1961)
The Second Five-Year Plan was drafted under the leadership of the renowned statistician and strategist Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. Launched in 1956 , it focused heavily on rapid industrialization, heavy industries, and the public sector (Mahalanobis Model).

Step 2: Constructing the chronological order.
Comparing the established dates: \[ \text{1944 } \text{[(iii)]} \quad < \quad \text{March 1950 } \text{[(iv)]} \quad < \quad \text{1951 } \text{[(ii)]} \quad < \quad \text{1956 } \text{[(i)]} \]

Step 3: Matching with the given options.
The correct chronological sequence is: (iii) $\rightarrow$ (iv) $\rightarrow$ (ii) $\rightarrow$ (i) . This corresponds to Option (A).