After the termination of which Five Year Plan in India was the Rolling Plan introduced as a flexible alternative to traditional fixed term plans?

Introduction / Context:

This question relates to the history of economic planning in India. For many decades, the government followed a system of Five Year Plans to guide economic development. At one point this fixed plan approach was temporarily replaced by what was called the Rolling Plan. Knowing after which specific Five Year Plan this shift occurred is a common fact tested in general studies and Indian economy sections.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The concept mentioned is the Rolling Plan.

- The options list different numbered Five Year Plans.

- The question asks after which plan the Rolling Plan was implemented.

Concept / Approach:

The Rolling Plan was introduced by the Janata government after the Fifth Five Year Plan. The Fifth Plan was terminated one year earlier than scheduled, and instead of continuing the fixed five year cycle, the government experimented with annual plans that rolled forward each year. This period is therefore associated with the Rolling Plan following the Fifth Plan, not with later plans such as the Sixth, Seventh, or Ninth Plan.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Another way to verify is to remember that the Sixth Plan formally started in 1980 under a different government. The period between the ending of the Fifth Plan and the start of the Sixth Plan is the phase associated with the Rolling Plan, confirming that it followed the Fifth Plan.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

The Third Plan belongs to an earlier phase of planning and predates the Rolling Plan concept.

The Seventh Plan came after the Sixth Plan and was part of the restored five year cycle, not the phase when the Rolling Plan was used.

The Ninth Plan belongs to a much later period in Indian planning history and has no connection with the Rolling Plan experiment of the late nineteen seventies.

The Sixth Plan was actually launched after the Rolling Plan phase, so the Rolling Plan did not follow the Sixth Plan.

Common Pitfalls:

A common mistake is to confuse the exact plan number because many learners remember the Rolling Plan as an experiment but do not tie it firmly to the Fifth Plan. Carefully linking the Rolling Plan to the political change that ended the Fifth Five Year Plan early helps keep this association clear.

Final Answer:

The Rolling Plan was implemented after the Fifth Five Year Plan.