Q.When was the Planning Commission established? Explain its composition and functions.

The Planning Commission was set up in March 1950 by a Cabinet Resolution, with the Prime Minister as its ex-officio Chairman.

The Planning Commission of India was established in March 1950 through a resolution of the Union Cabinet. It was an extra-constitutional body -- that is, it was not created by the Constitution of India nor by an Act of Parliament, but purely by executive decision -- and it functioned purely in an advisory capacity to the Union Government, although in practice its recommendations carried very substantial weight since it also controlled the allocation of plan funds.

In terms of composition, the Prime Minister of India served as the Commission's ex-officio Chairman. It was assisted by a Deputy Chairman, who in practice headed its day-to-day functioning, along with a number of full-time and part-time members drawn from among economists, administrators and subject experts, supported by a secretariat. …

Students often wrongly describe the Planning Commission as a constitutional or statutory body; it was in fact created purely by an executive C …