Understanding India's Second Five Year Plan Leadership

India's economic development after independence was guided by a series of Five Year Plans. These plans set out national goals and strategies for growth over a five-year period. The focus and approach varied from one plan to the next.

The Second Five Year Plan (1956-1961)

The Second Five Year Plan is a significant period in India's planning history. It marked a shift in focus compared to the First Plan.

• The First Plan primarily focused on agriculture and infrastructure development.
• The Second Five Year Plan, however, gave a strong emphasis to industrialization, particularly the development of heavy industries.

This shift towards industrial growth required a different planning approach. The drafting of this plan involved significant contributions from various economists and statisticians.

Leadership Behind the Second Five Year Plan

The theoretical framework and the drafting of the Second Five Year Plan were heavily influenced and led by a prominent figure:

P.C. Mahalanobis

Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was a renowned Indian statistician who played a crucial role in shaping India's planning strategy. The industrialization model used in the Second Five Year Plan is often referred to as the 'Mahalanobis Model'. This model emphasized investment in heavy industries to achieve long-term economic growth and self-reliance.

Mahalanobis was a member of the Planning Commission and was instrumental in designing the planning framework based on his statistical and economic insights.

Analyzing the Options

Let's briefly look at the other options provided:

• K.N. Raj: K.N. Raj was another influential economist who contributed significantly to India's planning, particularly associated with the strategy of the First Five Year Plan, which focused more on agriculture.
• J.C. Kumarappa: J.C. Kumarappa was a Gandhian economist known for advocating village industries and a decentralized economy, different from the heavy industry focus of the Second Plan.
• P.C. Mahapatra: P.C. Mahapatra is not widely recognized as a key figure in the leadership or drafting of the Second Five Year Plan in the context of prominent Indian economists and planners of that era.

Based on historical records and the prominent role of the 'Mahalanobis Model' in the Second Five Year Plan, P.C. Mahalanobis was the leading figure in its drafting.

Therefore, the Second Five Year Plan was drafted under the leadership and significant influence of P.C. Mahalanobis.

Revision Table: Five Year Plan Leaders

Additional Information: Mahalanobis Model and Indian Planning

The Mahalanobis Model is a two-sector model of economic growth. It suggests that investment in the heavy industry sector (like steel plants, machinery manufacturing) is crucial for long-term economic growth, even if it doesn't immediately increase consumer goods production. The model argued that building a strong base of capital goods industries would eventually allow for faster growth in consumer goods production and overall economic self-reliance. This model heavily influenced the industrial policy and investment patterns during the Second Five Year Plan period.

P.C. Mahalanobis also founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and contributed significantly to the development of statistics in India and globally.