WBCS.LIVE practice question

Which of the following Five-Year Plan of India was a complete failure?

Solve this multiple-choice question and check the correct answer with its explanation below.

Answer options

  1. Seventh Five-Year Plan
  2. Sixth Five-Year Plan
  3. First Five-Year Plan
  4. Third Five-Year Plan

Correct answer and explanation

Correct answer: Third Five-Year Plan

Explanation: The Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966) aimed at making India self-reliant and emphasised agriculture, industry, and defence. However, it turned out to be a complete failure due to a series of crises. The Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Indo-Pak War of 1965, and two successive droughts (1965–66) badly disrupted the economy. Agricultural output fell, industrial progress slowed, and heavy defence expenditure diverted resources. As a result, the Plan’s targets could not be achieved, and the government had to launch Three Annual Plans (1966–69) instead of moving directly to the Fourth Plan.