Page 8 - Lessonnote_Structural Change

INDUSTRIALISATION IN INDEPENDENT INDIA

• For Indian nationalists the issue of economic exploitation under

colonial rule was a central issue.
• Images of precolonial fabled riches of India contrasted with the poverty
of British India.

• The Swadeshi movement strengthened the loyalty to the national
economy.
• Modern ideas made people realise that poverty was preventable.

Indian nationalists saw rapid industrialisation of the economy as the
path towards both growth and social equity.

• Development of heavy and machine making industries
• Expansion of public sector

• Development of a large cooperative sector.

A National Planning committee of 1938 was set up with Jawaharlal Nehru
as the Chairman and KT Shah as the General Editor. The Committee
started functioning in 1939, but it could not make much headway as the

chairman was arrested by the British and the war broke out.
Notwithstanding these obstacles, 29 sub-committees divided into eight

groups were set up to deal with all aspects of national life and to work in
accordance with a predetermined plan.

The major areas of focus were.

• Agriculture and other sources of primary production.

• Exchange and finance.
• Public utilities, transport and communication

• Education-general and technical.
• Women's role in a planned economy.

The Planning commission was set up in March 1950 by the resolution of the

Government of India.