Introduction:

The planning commission was set up by a resolution of the Government of India in March 1950 in pursuance of declared objective of the government to promote a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people the efficient exploitation of the resources of the country, increasing production and offering opportunities to all for employment in the service of the community. it has been charge with the responsibility of making assessment of all the resources in the country. Augmenting deficient resources formulating plan for the most effective and balance utilization of resources and determining policies to priorities from time to time the government has been changing its nature and organization the first chairman of the planning commission was the prime minister bandit Jawaharlal Nehru along with 5 full time members. The prime minister remains its ex- officio qualification for the member. The members are appointed by the government on its own direction. The achievements of planning in India are;

Achievements of the planning:

• Growth in public sector: The public sector in this country with all its limitations has reached the commanding heights and thus contributes a lot to economic growth. At the time of independence its size was quite small during the planning period, approximately 45% of the total investment have been made in the public sector.
• Development of infrastructure: Means of transport and communication, irrigation facilities and energy sources broad constitutes the infrastructure of a country. A high priority has been accorded to the development of infrastructure under the various plans of India. Though the targets lay down under the plans for the development of the infrastructure invariably remained unrealized, yet it has to be admitted that the country would not have reached the present level of infrastructure development in the absence of economic planning.
• Increase in consumption of people: The per capita consumption of cereals, edible oils, and vanaspati, fish, beverages and cloth increased considerably during the plan period. The G.D.P was also increased in the nation which was the true sign of growth
• Progress in the field of technology and science: Significant progress has been achieved by India in the field of science and technology. The progress has been so fast and so great that India is now counted as the third largest country in the field of technology and science. Development of infrastructure like railways, roads, telecommunications, and power plants helped improve connectivity and supported industrial growth.
• Progress in health and education: There has been a rise in life expectancy of the Indian people during the plan period whereas the average life expectancy of an Indian was about 32 years in1951, it has gone up to more than 65 years now. This is largely the result of elimination of epidemics and providing medical facilities. There is development in educational system. India today has a very wide base of skilled workers to draw upon due to educational facilities available.
• Increase in employment and reduction in poverty: Poverty in India targeted to be eliminated by the year 2010 by providing full employment and basic needs of the people. Various targeted poverty alleviation programs, such as the Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP), National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (now MGNREGA), and Public Distribution System (PDS), helped to reduce poverty levels and improve living conditions in rural areas. Focus on rural development and employment generation contributed to poverty reduction, particularly in the 2000s.
• Achievement of self sufficiency: Self sufficiency in food is achieved and now the country is in a position to export food grains. India is planning to do away with foreign aid gradually by increasing exports.
• Growth in national income and per capita income: An important objective of planning is to increase output of all goods and services that is to increase national income. As a direct result of planning, India’s national income and per capita income went up while the growth rate in national income was modest around 4% per year. The growth rate in per capita income was quite satisfactory, less than 2% per year this lower rate is due to the high growth rate of population.
• Progress in agriculture: As a result of this plan expenditure of 22% on agriculture and irrigation, agricultural production increased considerably. The area and product of all the crops had more than doubled or even trebled. Since 1966 the main emphasis has been on the introduction of new technology for raising the agricultural productivity. This work was first undertaken under intensive agricultural area program this was followed by the HYV program. In the 1960s, India experienced a significant boost in agricultural production, especially in wheat and rice, due to the adoption of high-yielding varieties, modern irrigation techniques, and fertilizers. This helped India move from a food-deficient nation to one that is largely self-sufficient. Expansion of irrigation systems and better agricultural technology increased productivity, leading to food security.
• Progress in industry: More impressive than the growth of agriculture has been the increase in the field of industry.  The growth of steel, aluminum, engineering goods, chemical fertilizers and petroleum products is especially important with the growth of these industries, many other industries were started. A variety of capital goods and consumer goods are being produced in both large and small industries. The annual rate of growth has been quite impressive as high as 14%. In case of aluminum and 8 to 10 %. In many other capital goods and engineering goods. India has now become the tenth most industrialized country in the world. Early plans, especially the Second Five-Year Plan, focused on building a strong industrial base through the development of heavy industries like steel, coal, and machinery. Important public sector enterprises were established during this period.
• Human Development: Economic planning led to investments in education, with increased school enrollments, a rise in literacy rates, and an expansion of higher education institutions, such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Planning also facilitated improvements in healthcare infrastructure, leading to a higher life expectancy, reduced infant mortality, and the eradication of diseases like smallpox and polio.

also read: explain the functions of planning commission of India.