During which Five-Year Plan was the focus on 'Self-reliance' particularly emphasised?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Third Five-Year Plan.
The focus on 'Self-reliance' (also phrased as achieving a 'self-reliant and self-generating economy') was particularly emphasised in the Third Five-Year Plan (1961-1966) and continued into the Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-1974) as 'Growth with Stability and Progressive Achievement of Self-Reliance.'
The Third Five-Year Plan explicitly set the goal of making India self-reliant in food grains and expanding basic industries to sustain future growth primarily through domestic resources, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign aid. However, the plan suffered due to the Indo-China War (1962), the Indo-Pak War (1965), and severe drought, which led to a Plan Holiday.
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First Five-Year Plan (1951-1956): Focused primarily on the development of agriculture, irrigation, and power projects to address post-partition food shortages.
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Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-1985): Key focus was on poverty alleviation (Garibi Hatao continuation) and employment generation, along with modernization and technological self-reliance.
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Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002): Focused on "Growth with Social Justice and Equality," building on the economic reforms of 1991.