The Fourth Five-Year Plan started in 1969, but it was delayed by more than one year due to disagreements about how India’s economy should develop. During this time, Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister.
Main Objective of the Plan
The main aim of this plan was to:
- Reduce the concentration of wealth and economic power
- Promote growth with stability
- Move towards self-reliance (becoming less dependent on other countries)
The plan was based on the Gadgil Formula, which helped in fair distribution of resources among states.
Major Economic Decisions
One of the most important steps taken during this period was the nationalisation of 14 major banks. This means the government took control of these banks to:
- Increase access to banking in rural areas
- Support agriculture and small industries
- Reduce inequality
Agricultural Development
The Green Revolution continued during this period, which helped in:
- Increasing food production
- Improving farming techniques
- Making India more self-sufficient in food
New Initiatives
Some important schemes and concepts were introduced:
- Buffer Stock of Food Grains:
The government decided to store food grains (about 5 million tonnes) to deal with shortages and control prices - Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP):
This program was launched to help areas affected by drought and improve their development
Challenges Faced
The plan faced several difficulties:
- The Indo-Pak War of 1971 and the Bangladesh Liberation War
- A large amount of money had to be spent on defence instead of development
- Economic instability due to these events
Growth Performance
The target growth rate was 5.6%, but the actual growth achieved was only 3.3%, which was lower than expected.
Conclusion
In simple terms, the Fourth Five-Year Plan focused on reducing inequality, strengthening agriculture, and achieving self-reliance. However, wars and economic problems affected its success, and the growth rate remained lower than the target.