Question

The Planning Commission of India is ____________.

• A. A statutory body
• B. An advisory body
• C. A constitutional body
• D. An independent and autonomous body

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

An advisory body

• The Planning Commission was established in March 1950 by an executive resolution of the Government of India, on the recommendation of the Advisory Planning Board constituted in 1946, under the chairman of KC Neogi. Thus the Planning Commission is neither constitutional nor a statutory body.
• It is a non-constitutional (not created by the Constitution) and a non-statutory body (not created by an act of Parliament).
• In India, it is the supreme organ of planning for social and economic development. It is not responsible for taking and implementing decisions. This responsibility rests with the Central and State governments.
• The Planning Commission is only a staff agency- an advisory body and has no executive responsibility.
• The critics have described it as a 'Super Cabinet', an 'Economic Cabinet' a 'Parallel Cabinet', the 'Fifth Wheel of the Coach' etc.