5-year plan to give way to 15-year development agenda
After the replacement of the Planning Commission with NITI (National Institute for Transforming India) Aayog, the government is all set to replace the country's 5-year development plans with the 15-year 'National Development Agenda'. PM Modi has cleared the preparation of the 15-year vision document by the NITI Aayog. Once accepted, it will be implemented post the Twelfth 5-year plan which ends in 2017.
The 5-Year planning process was started by the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru for integrated economic development using limited resources. The first plan was adopted in 1951 and since then India has seen 12 such plans.
In his budget speech in Feb'16, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had dismantled the plan and non-plan distinction from the next financial year 2017-18. This was an indication that the process of 5-year plans would come to an end after the 12th Five Year Plan 2012-17. This was in continuation of the Prime Minister's view that Five Year Planning has outlived its utility.
The Planning Commission was already replaced by NITI (National Institute of Transforming India) Aayog which was formed in January 2015 for carrying forward the development agenda of the nation.
National Development Agenda is a 15-year vision document that will set out a blueprint for the country's progress over a 15-year period starting 2017-18. The planning process in the country has been criticised for the lack of a long-term vision as present in other countries. The 15-year agenda aims to overcome this by laying down programmes, schemes and strategies to achieve the long-term vision.
For the first time, internal security and defence, which hitherto were not a part of the planning process, will be included in the developmental agenda so as to bring a long-term perspective in these areas.
There will be a shorter 7-year plan within the larger 15-year framework to ensure course corrections. NITI Aayog will prepare a dashboard for constant monitoring, evaluation and review of the plan. It will fix targets for infrastructure projects and social sector schemes. The plan will also incorporate Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by the world for 2015-30 as a successor to the Millenium Development Goals.
