The Planning Commission of India was established in 1950 as an advisory and policy-making body to promote planned economic development in the country. It played a central role in preparing development plans and coordinating economic and social policies until it was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015. Its major functions were as follows. One important function of the Planning Commission was to assess the country’s available material, capital and human resources. It examined existing resources and identified areas where resources were insufficient or underutilised. On this basis, it formulated strategies for achieving balanced economic development. The Commission was responsible for preparing Five-Year Plans and other development programmes. It determined national priorities, fixed development targets and suggested policies for achieving them. These plans covered major sectors such as agriculture, industry, infrastructure, education, health and employment. Another major function was to determine priorities for the allocation of resources. Since resources were limited, the Commission