SSC GD 2025 PYQ — Question 28

The correct answer is option 1 i.e. PC Mahalnobis.

• The five-year plan for 1956–1961 was prepared by PC Mahalnobis.
• P.C. Mahalanobis was a renowned Indian statistician and economist who played a key role in India’s economic planning.
• The Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961) was based on the Mahalanobis Model, which emphasized industrialization and the development of heavy industries.
• The plan focused on strengthening the public sector and reducing dependence on imports.
• Mahalanobis was the founder of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and introduced advanced statistical and mathematical methods in economic planning.
• The Mahalanobis Model became a cornerstone of India’s post-independence planning, aiming for a self-reliant and balanced economy.

Other Options:

• Harrod-Domar: The First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956) was based on the Harrod-Domar model, which focused on increasing the rate of savings and investment to stimulate growth. This model prioritized agriculture and irrigation.
• Jawaharlal Nehru: As the first Prime Minister and Chairman of the Planning Commission, Nehru was the chief proponent and driving force behind all early Five-Year Plans, but he was not the technical architect of the specific models.
• D. R. Gadgil: Dhananjay Ramchandra Gadgil was an influential economist who served as the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission much later, during the period of the Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974).