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The 'Gandhian Plan' of 1944, based on the economic ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and stressing village industries and decentralisation, was prepared by:
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Answer: Option A — Shriman Narayan Agarwal
Detailed Solution
The "Gandhian Plan" was prepared in 1944 by Shriman Narayan Agarwal (also known as Shriman Narayan), the principal of the Seksaria Commerce College, Wardha, on the basis of Gandhi's economic ideas.
Main features of the Gandhian Plan:
- It stressed the development of the rural economy and agriculture.
- It gave priority to cottage and village industries, such as khadi and handicrafts, rather than large-scale industries.
- It favoured decentralisation of economic activity, with self-sufficient villages.
- It stressed basic education, health and the provision of basic needs for all.
- It proposed that large-scale industries should be limited, and owned by the state where necessary.
- It proposed a total investment of about 3,500 crore rupees over ten years.
Other plans of the 1940s:
The Bombay Plan (1944) was prepared by leading industrialists, such as J. R. D. Tata, G. D. Birla, Purshottamdas Thakurdas and others; it proposed rapid industrialisation with a large role for the state.
Earlier, M. Visvesvaraya wrote "Planned Economy for India" (1934), one of the first books on planning in India.
The National Planning Committee was set up by the Congress in 1938.
About Shriman Narayan Agarwal:
- He was born on 15 July 1912 at Etawah, in Uttar Pradesh.
- He was a close follower of Gandhi, and lived and worked at Wardha.
- He was the General Secretary of the Congress (1950s).
- He became a member of the Planning Commission (1958-1963), where he promoted Gandhian ideas.
- He served as the Indian Ambassador to Nepal.
- He was the Governor of Gujarat (1967-1973).
- He wrote many books, including "Gandhian Constitution for Free India" (1946), with a foreword by Gandhi.
Influence:
The Gandhian ideas of village industries and decentralisation influenced the Five-Year Plans, especially through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (1956) and community development programmes.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Visvesvaraya wrote "Planned Economy for India"; J. R. D. Tata was one of the authors of the Bombay Plan; K. T. Shah was a member of the National Planning Committee.
Quick tip
Remember: Gandhian Plan (1944) = Shriman Narayan Agarwal; Bombay Plan (1944) = industrialists; Visvesvaraya = "Planned Economy for India" (1934).
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This question tests your understanding of Planning in India & NITI Aayog, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
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