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Planning in India has failed because political factors dominate economic ones: MR Pai

There is no yardstick of efficiency to judge the performance of monopoly services like LIC and Indian Airlines, wrote Mangalore Ranga Pai in 1962.

As a student of public affairs, and not as an economist, I see three good points in Indian planning during the last 11 years. First, while its methodology and contents give room to disagreements, at the same time it is an attempt to raise the standard of living of the masses who live in abject poverty. Secondly, it has aroused a consciousness in the country — the extent of this consciousness is debatable and vigorously debated — to improve economic conditions, mainly through industrialisation. Thirdly, planning efforts have, by and large, respected democratic institutions, although a serious dent is made in some institutions like private property through measures like nationalisation and amendment to Article 31 of the Constitution (whereby compensation to state-acquired property is made non-justiciable in a court of law).

The need for planning in India is conceded on all hands. Disagreements arise over the techniques and contents of the Plans, and their implementation. The present plans aim at providing a strong industrial base and promoting a socialist basis by vesting the bulk of the economy, eventually, in the State. This emphasis is disputed by another school of thought which feels that agriculture should receive priority so that a viable industrial economy might emerge on the basis of a prosperous agricultural sector; further, all economic activities, while subject to overall planning of direction, targets and control should be allowed to be carried on........

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