Five-Year Plans of India: Key Features, Objectives and Growth Rates

Five-Year Plans of India have played a major role in shaping the country’s economic development, growth strategies, and sector-wise priorities. In competitive exams like SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC GD, SSC MTS and other SSC exams, questions on Five-Year Plans frequently appear, especially on growth rates, models, objectives, timelines, and major policies linked with each plan.

Here, we have provided a detailed explanation of all the Five-Year Plans from the First Plan (1951–56) to the Twelfth Plan (2012–17).

What Are Five-Year Plans?

Five Year Plans are long-term development blueprints designed for a period of five years. The concept of Five-Year Plans was borrowed from Russia, and India implemented a total of 12 Five-Year Plans, along with shorter plans such as the Plan Holiday and Rolling Plan.

These plans include India’s development goals related to:

• Agriculture

• Industry

• Infrastructure

• Employment

• Poverty reduction

• Economic growth

List of All Five-Year Plans of India 

First Five-Year Plan (1951–1956)

Model: Harrod–Domar Model
Focus: Agriculture, primary sector, self-reliance
Key Highlights:

• Priority to agriculture and irrigation
  
  

• Emphasis on self-sufficiency
  
  

• Establishment of the first IITs (Kharagpur, Bombay, Madras, Delhi, Kanpur)
  
  

• IIT Kharagpur was the oldest; Maulana Abul Kalam Azad contributed significantly

Growth:

• Target: 2.1%

• Actual: 3.6%

Second Five-Year Plan (1956–1961)

Model: P.C. Mahalanobis Model (Father of Indian Statistics)
Focus: Industrialisation, particularly heavy industries
Key Highlights:

• Industrial Policy of 1956

• Expansion of the secondary sector

Growth:

• Target: 4.5%

• Actual: 3.4%

Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966)

Model: Gadgil Yojana
Focus: Small-scale industries
Key Highlights:

• India took its first IMF loan during this period

• Economic challenges due to the 1962 Indo-China War

Growth:

• Target: 5.6% (sometimes referenced as 5.8%)

• Actual: 2.8%

Plan Holiday (1966–1969)

Due to the failure of the Third Plan (war + low growth), a break was taken.

Key Event: Green Revolution launched in India

Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969–1974)

Period: Indira Gandhi era
Focus: Self-reliance, family planning
Key Highlights:

• Refugee crisis due to the Bangladesh War (1971)

• Nationalisation of 14 banks

• Slogan: “Garibi Hatao”

Growth:

• Target: 5.7%

• Actual: 3.3%

Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–1979)

Focus: Agriculture + Industry (mixed priority)
Key Highlights:

• Electricity Supply Act

• Priority to poverty eradication

• DP Dhar drafted the plan

Growth:

• Target: Higher than actual

• Actual: 4.8%

Later terminated early, leading to the Rolling Plan.

Rolling Plan (1978–1979)

Introduced by the Janata Party Government.
Marked the discontinuation of the Fifth Plan.

Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980–1985)

Focus: Poverty removal, modernisation, technology
Growth:

• Target: 5.2%

• Actual: 5.7%

Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985–1990)

Focus: Employment generation and productivity
Key Highlights: The private sector was given priority

Growth:

• Target: 5%

• Actual: 6%

Annual Plans (1990–1992)

Two one-year plans due to political instability.
Declared that the Seventh Plan failed to achieve targets.

Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992–1997)

Context: Post-1991 Liberalisation (LPG reforms)
Focus: Economic reforms, employment, education, health
Growth:

• Target: 5.6%

• Actual: 6.8%

Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997–2002)

Focus: Growth with justice and equity
Context: Launched during India’s 50 years of independence
Growth:

• Target: 6.5%

• Actual: 5.4%

Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002–2007)

Objective: Double per capita income in 10 years
Growth:

• Target: 8%

• Actual: 7.6%

11th Five-Year Plan (2007–2012)

Prepared by: Dr C. Rangarajan
Objective: Faster and more inclusive growth
Growth:

• Target: Higher target

• Actual: 7.9%

12th Five-Year Plan (2012–2017)

This was the last plan.
After this, the Planning Commission was dissolved and NITI Aayog was formed on 1 January 2015 (announced in 2014).

The Five-Year Plans laid the foundation for India's economic policies, agricultural improvements, industrial development, and poverty reduction strategies. Although the planning system ended with the 12th Plan, its legacy continues through NITI Aayog’s long-term policy framework.