11th 5-year plan focuses on?
VerifiedAnswer: Faster and more inclusive Growth
Explanation:
The 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) marked a significant shift in India's economic planning approach. This plan specifically emphasized "Faster and More Inclusive Growth" as its central theme, moving beyond the traditional focus on just achieving high growth rates to ensuring that the benefits of economic development reached all sections of society.
The plan aimed to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 9% annually while simultaneously addressing the growing concerns about inequality and social exclusion. The term "faster growth" referred to accelerating India's economic expansion to compete globally and improve living standards. Meanwhile, "inclusive growth" meant ensuring that the benefits of this economic progress would reach marginalized communities, rural populations, and economically weaker sections of society.
Key focus areas of the 11th Five-Year Plan included:
• Reducing poverty and creating employment opportunities • Improving healthcare and education access • Enhancing rural infrastructure and agricultural productivity • Promoting sustainable environmental practices • Strengthening social security systems • Bridging regional disparities in development
This plan recognized that previous economic policies, while successful in generating growth, had created widening income gaps and regional imbalances. Therefore, the 11th Plan introduced several flagship programs like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and increased allocation for social sector schemes to ensure that economic progress translated into improved quality of life for all citizens, particularly those in rural and backward areas.
