ABSTRACT
The basic philosophy of this chapter is to deal with the concepts, perspective and evaluation of the planning process in India. The chapter begins with the theoretical idea of development planning under a democratic system. Then it discusses the rationale for planning which originates from the age-old debate between market economy and planned economy. Then the focus is on the origin and historical perspective of planning in India. After the attainment of independence, the broad objective of planning in India has been highlighted. Then the chapter demonstrates the structural constraints of planning in the context of the age-old debate between the Gandhian philosophy and approach of Nehru. It further focuses on the changes in development strategy and shift in planning priorities along with the changing perception of the role of the state with the passage of time. The introduction of the New Economic Policy made it necessary to redefine the role of the state in the context of liberalization and globalization. It further describes the concepts of plan failures, government failures and how did it lead to re-emergence of market mechanism. Finally, an attempt has been made to evaluate the performance of planning in India along with its shortcomings. The chapter ends with the end of the planning commission and the ushering of a new era with the formation of National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
