Planning And Sustainable Development In Indian Context Class 12 Geography Chaper 6 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Planning is an important step for economic development in any country. In India, planning goes beyond individual activities and refers to programs made for the overall progress of the nation. 

There are two main approaches to planning: sectoral planning and regional planning. 

Sectoral planning means creating and carrying out schemes for different sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, irrigation, transport, power, and social services. 

Regional planning, on the other hand, focuses on reducing development gaps between different areas of the country, since some regions are more advanced while others lag behind.

After independence, India adopted centralized economic planning through the Planning Commission, which worked at the central, state, and district levels. However, on 1 January 2015, the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog. 

The aim of NITI Aayog is to involve states in the policy-making process and offer strategic and technical advice for all levels of government. This change marked a shift to decentralized, multi-level planning, which allows for more customized and region-specific development strategies.

Some parts of India, despite having resources, remain underdeveloped due to lack of technology or investment. Over time, planners noticed that regional gaps were growing, so they introduced target area and target group approaches to planning. 

Programmes like the Command Area Development Programme, Drought Prone Area Development Programme, Desert Development Programme, and Hill Area Development Programme were launched to uplift backward areas. 

Agencies such as the Small Farmers Development Agency (SFDA) and Marginal Farmers Development Agency (MFDA) focused on helping specific groups, mainly those engaged in agriculture.

This programme was started during the Fifth Five Year Plan and covered various hilly districts in states like Uttarakhand (then part of Uttar Pradesh), Assam, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu. Areas above 600 m high, excluding those under tribal sub-plan, were seen as backward hill areas. 

Planning for these zones considered their unique geography, society, and ecology. They focused particularly on using local resources for developing horticulture, plantation agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, and small-scale industries, aiming to ensure balanced regional development and prevent isolation.

Launched in the Fourth Five Year Plan, this programme aimed to create employment and productive assets in drought-prone regions, initially through labour-intensive civil works. Later, the focus included building irrigation projects, improving land, creating rural infrastructure (like electricity and markets), afforestation, and grassland development. 

The program mainly concentrates on the agricultural sector with a major aim of restoring the ecological balance. A micro-level approach, such as integrated watershed development, is strongly encouraged due to population pressure forcing the use of marginal lands, which can lead to environmental degradation.

• Drought-prone areas are mainly found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, western Madhya Pradesh, Marathwada in Maharashtra, and specific plateaus and interior regions in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
• By 1967, 67 districts were identified as drought-prone, using a 30% irrigated area as a key measure. However, areas like Punjab and Haryana are now protected due to increased irrigation.

Bharmaur, in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh, is inhabited by the Gaddi tribal community. It has tough terrain, a low resource base, and a harsh climate. Due to its remoteness, Bharmaur faced social and economic backwardness. 

In 1975, Bharmaur was declared a notified tribal area, and in 1974, it became part of the Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) under the Fifth Five Year Plan. The ITDP aimed to improve living standards, reduce social gaps, and provide better access to infrastructure.

The region covers about 1,818 sq km, lying between 1,500 m and 3,700 m elevation, surrounded by mountains and drained by rivers like the Ravi, Budhil, and Tundahen. It is divided into Holi, Khani, Kugti, and Tundah. Major improvements from ITDP include:

• Infrastructure: better roads, water supply, schools, healthcare, electricity, and communication, especially in villages along the Ravi.
• Social progress: huge increase in literacy (female literacy rose from 1.88% in 1971 to 65% in 2011), better sex ratio, and lower rates of child marriage.
• Economic changes: shifted from a mainly pastoral and food grain economy to increased cash crop cultivation and wage labour migration during winters.

Development means positive, lasting improvements in economy, society, and environment. Originally, development was measured by growth in GNP and per capita income, but it became clear that economic growth doesn’t always reduce poverty or inequality. 

Over the decades, development came to also mean improvements in social and material wellbeing for all. In the late 20th century, sustainable development became a global concern, mainly due to environmental problems linked with industrialization.

Sustainable development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (from the 1987 Brundtland Report). It stresses the careful use of resources, taking into account ecological, social, and economic factors, not just for one's own country but for the whole of humanity. 

The UN and several scholars have promoted these ideas to highlight the balance needed for present and future progress.

The Indira Gandhi Canal (formerly Rajasthan Canal) is among India’s largest canal systems, launched in 1958 and stretching over 9,060 km. It originates from the Harike Barrage in Punjab and serves the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, irrigating about 19.63 lakh hectares. 

The canal has two construction phases: Stage-I, serving regions like Ganganagar and Bikaner (5.53 lakh ha); Stage-II, serving Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur and others (14.1 lakh ha). Most irrigation is done by natural flow, but some parts use a lift system to supply water to higher lands.

The start of irrigation in this dry, desert region has transformed its ecology and economy. There is now more soil moisture, new pastures, and afforestation. Traditional dry crops (gram, bajra, jowar) have been replaced by water-intensive ones like wheat, cotton, and rice, leading to higher productivity. However, problems like waterlogging and soil salinity have emerged, making sustainability a key concern.

• Enforce strict water management, using protective irrigation in Stage-I and extensive irrigation in Stage-II to prevent wastage.
• Avoid water-intensive crops; promote alternatives like citrus plantations.
• Implement water-saving measures such as lining canals, levelling land, and using the warabandi system (equal water distribution).
• Reclaim areas affected by waterlogging and salinity.
• Afforestation and pasture development to protect fragile landscapes, especially in Stage-II command areas.
• Provide financial and institutional support to small and poor farmers for sustenance.
• Encourage diversification of the economy beyond agriculture, creating more functional connections between villages and markets.

Exercises at the end of the chapter test key points, such as understanding the difference between sectoral and regional planning, benefits of ITDP, and the impact of irrigation. Project work encourages students to observe development programmes in their region and analyze their social and economic effects. 

Students can also carry out resource assessment and propose measures for sustainable development in areas with environmental and social challenges.

Class 12 Geography Chapter 6 Notes – Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context: Key Revision Points

Revise important concepts from Class 12 Geography Chapter 6 Planning and Sustainable Development in Indian Context with these expert-prepared notes. All key points, case studies, and planning strategies from the NCERT book are covered for efficient understanding. Use these notes to clarify the difference between sectoral and regional planning, and learn about real-life project impacts.

With structured bullet points and regional examples like the Indira Gandhi Canal and Bharmaur ITDP, these revision notes help students quickly recall facts before exams.

The comprehensive content ensures readiness for MCQs and descriptive questions on planning institutions, sustainable development, and area-specific schemes. Master sustainable development concepts and apply them in answer writing for scoring better in Board exams.