Briefly explain the Tenth Five Plan (2002-2007), highlighting its weaknesses and strengths. Refer to the Planning Commission report on website.

Briefly explain the Tenth Five Plan (2002-2007), highlighting its weaknesses and strengths. Refer to the Planning Commission report on website.

First Five-Year Plan, 1951–1956
The first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru presented the first five-year plan to the Parliament of India on 8 December 1951. The plan addressed, mainly, the agrarian sector, including investments in dams and irrigation. The agricultural sector was hit hardest by the partition of India and needed urgent attention. The total planned budget of 206.8 billion (US$23.6 billion in the 1950 exchange rate) was allocated to seven broad areas: irrigation and energy (27.2 percent), agriculture and community development (17.4 percent), transport and communications (24 percent), industry (8.4 percent), social services (16.64 percent), land rehabilitation (4.1 percent), and for other sectors and services (2.5 percent). The target growth rate was 2.1% annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth; the achieved growth rate was 3.6%. The net domestic product went up by 15%. The monsoon was good and there were relatively high crop yields, boosting exchange reserves and the per capita income, which increased by 8%. National income increased more than the per capita income due to rapid population growth. Many irrigation projects were initiated during this period, including the Bhakra Dam and Hirakud Dam. The World Health Organization, with the Indian government, addressed children's health and reduced infant mortality, indirectly contributing to population growth.
At the end of the plan period in 1956, five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) were started as major technical institutions. The University Grant Commission was set up to take care of funding and take measures to strengthen the higher education in the country.[ Contracts were signed to start five steel plants, which came into existence in the middle of the second five-year plan.
Second Five-Year Plan, 1956–1961
This plan functioned on the basis of a nude model. The Mahalanobis model was propounded by Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in the year 1953. The second five-year plan focused on industry, especially heavy industry. Unlike the First plan, which focused mainly on agriculture, domestic production of industrial products was encouraged in the Second plan, particularly in the development of the public sector. The plan followed the Mahalanobis model, an economic development model developed by the Indian statistician Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in 1953. Hydroelectric power projects and five steel mills at Bhilai, Durgapur, and Rourkela were established. Coal production was increased. More railway lines were added in the north east.
The Atomic Energy Commission was formed in 1958 with Homi J. Bhabha as the first chairman. The Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was established as a research institute. In 1957 a talent search and scholarship program was begun to find talented young students to train for work in nuclear power.
The total amount allocated under the second five year plan in India was Rs. 4,800 crore. This amount was allocated among various sectors:
• Mining and industry
• Community and agriculture development
• Power and irrigation
• Social services
• Communications and transport
• Miscellaneous
Third Five-Year Plan, 1961–1966
The third plan stressed on agriculture and improving production of rice, but the brief Sino-Indian War of 1962 exposed weaknesses in the economy and shifted the focus towards the Defence industry. In 1965-1966, India fought a war with Pakistan. The war led to inflation and the priority was shifted to price stabilisation. The construction of dams continued. Many cement and fertilizer plants were also built. Punjab began producing an abundance of wheat.
Many primary schools were started in rural areas. In an effort to bring democracy to the grassroot level, Panchayat elections were started and the states were given more development responsibilities.
State electricity boards and state secondary education boards were formed. States were made responsible for secondary and higher education.
Fourth Five-Year Plan, 1969–1974
At this time Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. The Indira Gandhi government nationalised 14 major Indian banks and the Green Revolution in India advanced agriculture. In addition, the situation in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was becoming dire as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and Bangladesh Liberation War took place.
Funds earmarked for the industrial development had to be diverted for the war effort. India also performed the Smiling Buddha underground nuclear test in 1974, partially in response to the United States deployment of the Seventh Fleet in the Bay of Bengal. The fleet had been deployed to warn India against attacking West Pakistan and extending the war.
Fifth Five-Year Plan, 1974–1979
Stress was laid on employment, poverty alleviation, and justice. The plan also focused on self-reliance in agricultural production and defense. In 1978 the newly elected Morarji Desai government rejected the plan. Electricity Supply Act was enacted in 1975, which enabled the Central Government to enter into power generation and transmission leaders.
The Indian national highway system was introduced for the first time and many roads were widened to accommodate the increasing traffic. Tourism also expanded.
Sixth Five-Year Plan, 1980–1985
The sixth plan also marked the beginning of economic liberalization. Price controls were eliminated and ration shops were closed. This led to an increase in food prices and an increase in the cost of living. This was the end of Nehruvian Plan and Rajiv Gandhi was prime minister during this period.
Family planning was also expanded in order to prevent overpopulation. In contrast to China's strict and binding one-child policy, Indian policy did not rely on the threat of force. More prosperous areas of India adopted family planning more rapidly than less prosperous areas, which continued to have a high birth rate.
Seventh Five-Year Plan, 1985–1990
The Seventh Plan marked the comeback of the Congress Party to power. The plan laid stress on improving the productivity level of industries by upgrading of technology.
The main objectives of the 7th five year plans were to establish growth in areas of increasing economic productivity, production of food grains, and generating employment opportunities.
The thrust areas of the 7th Five year plan have been enlisted below:
• Social Justice
• Removal of oppression of the weak
• Using modern technology
• Agricultural development
• Anti-poverty programs
• Full supply of food, clothing, and shelter
• Increasing productivity of small and large scale farmers
• Making India an Independent Economy
Eighth Five-Year Plan, 1992–1997
Modernization of industries was a major highlight of the Eighth Plan. Under this plan, the gradual opening of the Indian economy was undertaken to correct the burgeoning deficit and foreign debt. Meanwhile India became a member of the World Trade Organization on 1 January 1995.This plan can be termed as Rao and Manmohan model of Economic development. The major objectives included, controlling population growth, poverty reduction, employment generation, strengthening the infrastructure, Institutional building, tourism management, Human Resource development, Involvement of Panchayat raj, Nagarapalikas, N.G.O'S and Decentralization and people's participation. Energy was given priority with 26.6% of the outlay. An average annual growth rate of 6.7% against the target 5.6% was achieved.
Ninth Five-Year Plan, 1997–2002
Ninth Five Year Plan India runs through the period from 1997 to 2002 with the main aim of attaining objectives like speedy industrialization, human development, full-scale employment, poverty reduction, and self-reliance on domestic resources.
The main objectives of the Ninth Five Year Plan of India are:
• to prioritize agricultural sector and emphasize on the rural development
• to generate adequate employment opportunities and promote poverty reduction
• to stabilize the prices in order to accelerate the growth rate of the economy
• to ensure food and nutritional security
• to provide for the basic infrastructural facilities like education for all, safe drinking water, primary health care, transport, energy
• to check the growing population increase
• to encourage social issues like women empowerment, conservation of certain benefits for the Special Groups of the society
• to create a liberal market for increase in private investments
During the Ninth Plan period, the growth rate was 5.35 per cent, a percentage point lower than the target GDP growth of 6.5 per cent.
Tenth Five-Year Plan, 2002–2007
• Attain 8% GDP growth per year.
• Reduction of poverty ratio by 5 percentage points by 2007.
• Providing gainful and high-quality employment at least to the addition to the labour force;*All children in India in school by 2003; all children to complete 5 years of schooling by 2007.
• Reduction in gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by at least 50% by 2007;*Reduction in the decadal rate of population growth between 2001 and 2011 to 16.2%;*Increase in Literacy Rates to 75 per cent within the Tenth Plan period (2002 to 2007).