The concept of economic planning adopted by India after independence was primarily inspired by the planning model of which country?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of the origin of India approach to economic planning after independence. Knowing the international inspiration behind the Planning Commission and the Five Year Plans is a core part of Indian economy and modern history for competitive examinations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• India adopted a system of planned economic development soon after independence.
• The question asks specifically from which country the broad concept of economic planning was derived.
• The options include several industrialised nations that used different economic models.
• We assume the focus is on long term national plans such as Five Year Plans.

Concept / Approach:
The idea of economic planning involves the state preparing comprehensive multi year plans that allocate resources, set production targets and prioritise sectors like agriculture, industry and infrastructure. India decision to use Five Year Plans and a central Planning Commission was strongly influenced by the experience of the Soviet Union, which used centralised planning to transform its economy. The key is to recall that the Soviet model, and not the purely market based models of western countries, was the main inspiration.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note that the question is about the concept of economic planning, not about constitutional or political institutions.Step 2: Recall that the Soviet Union, often referred to as Russia, successfully used Five Year Plans starting from the nineteen twenties.Step 3: Recognise that Indian leaders such as Jawaharlal Nehru admired the Soviet planning experience and saw it as a way to industrialise a newly independent country.Step 4: Observe that countries like Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom did not follow a similar centrally planned Five Year Plan model.Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is Russia.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard textbooks on Indian economy and history clearly state that Indian economic planning was influenced by the Soviet model. The creation of the Planning Commission and the design of the First Five Year Plan are often compared directly with Soviet planning practices, confirming that Russia was the main source of inspiration, not western capitalist countries.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Australia followed a mixed economic model but did not pioneer centralised Five Year Plans that inspired India.
The United States of America focused on market based capitalism with only limited planning during specific crises such as the Great Depression.
The United Kingdom had colonial administrative planning but not the kind of national economic planning that India adopted.
France did experiment with indicative planning after the Second World War but this was not the main model referenced by Indian leaders when they designed early plans.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent error is to assume that because India was a British colony, most institutions including planning came from the United Kingdom. Another mistake is to confuse mixed economy with central planning. Candidates may also misinterpret the term Russia and think only of the modern Russian Federation rather than the former Soviet Union whose planning model influenced India.

Final Answer:
The concept of economic planning in India was primarily derived from the model used in Russia.