UPSC Prelims 2004 · General Studies
Question 52: Economy and Social Development
Consider the following statements:
- 1.The highest deciding body for planning in India is the Planning Commission of India.
- 2.The Secretary of the Planning Commission of India is also the Secretary of the National Development Council.
- 3.The Constitution includes economic and social planning in the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
AnswerThe answer is (b).
Statements 2 and 3 are correct. The National Development Council, not the Planning Commission, was the highest body for plan decisions, so statement 1 is wrong. The Planning Commission's Secretary also served as Secretary of the NDC. Economic and social planning is Entry 20 of the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule.
- 1. The National Development Council was the highest decision-making body for planning.
- 2. The Commission's Secretary was also the NDC's Secretary.
- 3. Economic and social planning is Entry 20 of the Concurrent List.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 2 out.
What you needed to know: The Commission's Secretary was also the NDC's Secretary.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: Economic and social planning is Entry 20 of the Concurrent List.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statement 1.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Statement 1 is wrong: the NDC was the highest body.
- (b) Correct: statements 2 and 3 hold.
- (c) Leaves out statement 3, which is correct.
- (d) Leaves out statement 2, which is correct.
Worth knowing: The Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015, so the question describes a body that no longer exists.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2004, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.