Planning process and machinery in India.

The Constitution of India, with a federal system, having clear division of functions between the Centre and the States, and following the Parliamentary System of Democracy on the British model, makes the task of formulating and carrying out a National Five-Year Plan fundamentally different from any other country of the world. With what process the Five-Year Plan document is prepared and how its objectives and sector plans are approved by the elected representatives of the people and what extra-constitutional means have been adopted to seek the approval of the constituent units of the Union before a Plan is implemented is the theme of this article.