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Indian Five-Year Plans (Historical Context)

  • First Five-Year Plan (1951-1956):
    • Started: April 1, 1951.
    • Model: Harold Domar Model (drafted by K.N. Raj).
    • Focus: Agriculture.
    • Growth: Target 2.1%, Achieved 3.6%.
  • Second Five-Year Plan (1956-1961):
    • Model: Mahalanobis Model.
    • Focus: Heavy Industries.
    • Key Establishments: Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Rourkela (Odisha), Durgapur (West Bengal) Iron & Steel Plants.
    • Growth: Target 4.5%, Achieved 4.27%.
  • Third Five-Year Plan (1961-1966):
    • Model: Sukhmoy Chakravarty Model.
    • Objective: Agriculture and Industry development.
    • Impact: Failed due to India-China War (1962) and India-Pakistan War (1965).
    • Events: "Jai Jawan Jai Kisan" slogan (Lal Bahadur Shastri), Food Corporation of India (FCI) established (1965).
  • Plan Holiday (1966-1969):
    • Duration: Three years (1966-67, 1967-68, 1968-69).
    • Implemented: Annual plans.
    • Key Initiative: Green Revolution for food grain self-sufficiency.
  • Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-1974):
    • Model: Ashok Rudra Model (drafted by D.R. Gadgil).
    • Objective: Economic development with stability and self-reliance.
    • Growth: Target 5.5-5.7%, Achieved 3.3%.
    • Events: India-Pakistan War (1971), First nuclear test (Operation Smiling Buddha) in Pokhran (1974), Nationalization of 14 banks (1969).
  • Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-1978):
    • Duration: Ended prematurely after 4 years (originally 1974-1979).
    • Model: D.P. Dhar Model.
    • Objective: Poverty eradication ("Garibi Hatao").
    • Growth: Target 4.4%, Achieved 4.8%.
  • Rolling Plan (1978-1980):
    • Introduced by: Janata Party government (Morarji Desai).
    • Concept: Gunnar Myrdal (from "Asian Drama").
    • Implemented in India by: Lakdawala.
  • Sixth Five-Year Plan (1980-1985):
    • Model: Input-Output Model.
    • Objective: Employment creation and poverty eradication.
    • Events: NABARD established (1982), Nationalization of 6 more banks (1980), Operation Blue Star (1984), Operation Meghdoot (Siachen) (1984).
  • Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-1990):
    • Objective: Social justice with modernization.
    • Slogan: "Roti, Rozi, Aur Utpadakta" (Bread, Work, and Productivity) or "Bhojan, Kaam, Aur Utpadakta" (Food, Work, and Productivity).
    • Growth: Target 5%, Achieved 6%.
    • Event: SEBI established (1988).
  • Plan Holiday (1990-1992):
    • Context: Foreign exchange crisis (1991).
    • Key Initiative: New Economic Policy (LPG - Liberalization, Privatization, Globalization) adopted in 1991 under PM P.V. Narasimha Rao and FM Dr. Manmohan Singh.
  • Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-1997):
    • Model: John W. Miller Model.
    • Focus: Human Resource Development (influenced by HDI by Mahbub ul Haq and Amartya Sen).
    • Events: 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments (Panchayati Raj, Nagara Nigam) (1992), WTO established (Jan 1, 1995).
  • Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002):
    • Objective: Economic growth with social justice and equality.
    • Events: Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (Dec 25, 2000), Kargil War.
  • Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-2007):
    • Model: Input-Output Model.
    • Objective: Social justice and equality with development.
    • Growth: Achieved 7.6% (highest up to this point).
    • Event: NREGA Act 2005 (implemented Feb 2, 2006).
  • Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012):
    • Objective: Rapid and Inclusive Development.
    • Growth: Achieved 8% (highest ever among all plans).
    • Event: Right to Education Act 2009 (implemented April 1, 2010).
  • Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-2017):
    • Last Five-Year Plan.
    • Objective: Rapid, Sustainable, and Inclusive Development.
    • Growth: Target 8%, Achieved 6.7-6.9%.
    • Key Targets: Agricultural growth 4%, Total Fertility Rate 2.1%.

Current Affairs Updates

  • Defence & Security:
    • Jamata Coast Guard Exercise: Joint exercise between Japan and India Coast Guards in Chennai. Japanese ship Isushima participated. "Jamata" means "See you later" in Japanese.
    • Related Exercises:
      • Dharma Guardian (India-Japan)
      • MITRA Shakti (India-Sri Lanka)
      • Samudra Lakshman, Harimau Shakti, Udar Shakti (India-Malaysia)
      • SIMBEX (India-Singapore)
      • Ekuverin (India-Maldives)
      • Tiger Kill (India-USA)
      • Sainyabhyas (India-Cambodia)
    • ACOMEN Exercise: Indian Navy participated in the first multi-national exercise ACOMEN with African nations in Tanzania.
    • Rafale M Jets: India to purchase 26 Rafale M jets for the Navy from France.
    • DRDO Laser Guided Weapon System: Tested MK-IIA (laser-guided weapon system).
  • Economy & Technology:
    • UPI Expansion: Trinidad and Tobago became the first Caribbean nation to allow UPI usage. UPI is developed by NPCI. Other countries using UPI include Bhutan, UAE, France, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Singapore.
    • ISRO's Microprocessor: Vikram 3201 is India's first indigenous 32-bit microprocessor.
    • World's First 3D-Printed Train Station: Built in Japan in 6 hours.
    • New Development Bank (NDB) Members: Colombia and Uzbekistan are the 10th and 11th new members.
    • Integrated Health Insurance Scheme: Launched by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda from Odisha.
    • AI-Based SMOS System: Andhra Pradesh launched "Smart Mosquito Surveillance System" (SMOS) in six municipal corporations as a pilot project to combat mosquito-borne diseases.
  • Sports:
    • Khelo India Para Games 2023: Held in Delhi, mascot Ujjwala (sparrow), Haryana topped the medal table.
    • Khelo India Youth Games (7th): Held in Bihar, mascot Gaj Singh.
    • Most Valuable IPL Team: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at $269 million (as per Hurun India). IPL 2024 winner was RCB.
    • IPL 2024 Awards: Orange Cap - Sai Sudarshan, Purple Cap - Prasidh Krishna, Youngest Player - Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
    • ISSF Shooting World Cup 2024 (Buenos Aires): India secured 2nd place.
    • Sepak Takraw World Cup 2024-25: Indian men's Regu team won gold (tournament held in Bihar).
    • Indian Football Super League 2024-25: Won by Mohun Bagan Club (Kolkata).
    • Kabaddi World Cup 2024-25 (Men's & Women's): India won both titles, England was runner-up and host.
  • Awards & Recognition:
    • Jnanpith Award: Vinod Kumar Shukla became the first Hindi writer from Chhattisgarh to receive the award.
    • British Knighthood: James Anderson received the British Knighthood for services in cricket.
    • Avel Prize 2024 (Mathematics' Nobel): Awarded to Masaki Kashiwara.
    • Oscar Awards: To include "Best Eastern Designer" award.
  • Health & Environment:
    • WHO's 3/35 Initiative: Launched by WHO to increase real prices of alcohol, sugary products, and tobacco by 50% by 2035 to reduce demand and increase government revenue. These products are linked to cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart attack.
    • World Water Day 2024: March 22, theme "Glacier Conservation."
    • World Bio Product Day: Celebrated on July 7, theme "The Bio E3 Way 2025."
    • World Rural Development Day: Celebrated on July 6.
    • New Fish Species: Pethia dibrugardensis discovered in Brahmaputra River, Dibrugarh, Assam (Cyprinidae family).
    • Mosquito-Borne Diseases:
      • Dengue vector: Aedes aegypti.
      • Malaria vector: Female Anopheles (discovered by Ronald Ross).
      • Kala-azar vector: Sandfly.
      • Sleeping Sickness vector: Tsetse fly.
  • Government & Policy:
    • NITI Aayog NER SDG Index Report 2023-24 (North East Region Sustainable Development Goals Index):
      • Issued by NITI Aayog.
      • Top District: Hnahthial (Mizoram).
      • Bottom District: Longding (Arunachal Pradesh).
    • Potti Sreeramulu Statue: 58-foot statue unveiled in Amravati (instrumental in formation of Andhra Pradesh on linguistic basis).
    • First State Assembly in Sign Language: Punjab became the first state assembly to broadcast proceedings in sign language.
    • Supreme Court on State Bills: Set a 3-month time limit for the President's decision on state bills.
    • SC Classification Act: Telangana is the first state to implement the SC Classification Act.
    • First Tribal Cooperative University: Started in Gujarat (named after Tribhuvanbhai Patel).
  • Culture & Arts:
    • First Indian Film in London's "Scenes in the Square": "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" (DDLJ).
    • Milkaud's "Veera" Mascot: Launched by Punjab's Milkfed for its Verka brand.
    • Puththandu Festival: Celebrated in Tamil Nadu.
    • Kukrail Night Safari: India's first night safari in Lucknow.
    • Sigmo Festival: Held in Goa.
    • Book "Confessions of a Shakespeare Addict": Released by retired IPS V.S. Ravi in Hyderabad, celebrating lifelong love for Shakespeare's works.
  • Space:
    • All-Female Crew in Space: Blue Origin (Jeff Bezos' company) sent an all-female crew to space, first time since 1963.
    • Indian Astronaut's Ham Radio Contact: Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla established contact with Earth via ham radio communication with ISRO.
  • Other:
    • International Olympic Committee (IOC) First Female President: Kirsty Coventry (from Zimbabwe).
    • Black Box Lab: Inaugurated in Delhi.
    • Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Wildlife Sanctuary: Established in Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh.