NCERT solutions for Political Science Politics in India Since Independence [English] Class 12 chapter 3 - Politics of Planned Development [null edition]

In the politics of most countries, you will always come across references to parties and groups with a Left or Right ideology or leaning. These terms characterise the position of the concerned groups or parties regarding social change and role of the state in effecting economic redistribution. Left often refers to those who are in favour of state control of the economy and prefers state regulation over free competition. The Right refers to those who believe that free competition and market economy alone ensure progress and that the government should not unnecessarily intervene in the economy.

Can you tell which parties in the 1960s were Rightist and which were Left parties? Where would you place the Congress party of that time?

Are you saying we don't have to be Western in order to be modern? Is that possible?

Which of these statements about the Bombay Plan is incorrect? 

Which of the following ideas did not form part of the early phase of India’s development policy ?

The idea of planning in India was drawn from

(a) The Bombay plan

(b) Experiences of the Soviet bloc countries

(c) Gandhian vision of society

(d) Demand by peasant organisations

Match the following :

What were the major differences in the approach towards development at the time of Independence? Has the debate been resolved?

What was the major thrust of the First Five Year Plan? In which ways did the Second Plan differ from the first one ?

Read the following passage and answer the questions below :

“In the early years of Independence, two contradictory tendencies were already well advanced inside the Congress Party. On the one hand, the national party executive endorsed socialist principles of state ownership, regulation and control over key sectors of the economy in order to improve productivity and at the same time curb economic concentration. On the other hand, the national Congress government pursued liberal economic policies and incentives to private investment that was justified in terms of the sole criterion of achieving maximum increase in production”. - Francine Frankel

(a) What is the contradiction that the author is talking about? What would be the political implications of a contradiction like this?

(b) If the author is correct, why is it that the Congress was pursuing this policy? Was it related to the nature of the opposition parties?

(c) Was there also a contradiction between the central leadership of the Congress party and its state level leaders?