What was the primary aim of the Third Five-Year Plan (1961–1966) in India?

Correct option is C

The correct option is: (c) To achieve self-sufficiency in food grains

Explanation:

• The Third Five-Year Plan marked a shift towards making India self-reliant in agriculture, especially in food grain production.
• It aimed to reduce dependency on imports and focused on long-term agricultural growth.
• The plan’s strategy was influenced by the lessons of the China war (1962) and the need for food security.

Information Booster:

• Plan Period: 1961 to 1966.
• Emphasis: Intensive agricultural development using high-yielding varieties and irrigation.
• Disruption: The Indo-China (1962) and Indo-Pakistan (1965) wars diverted resources.
• Outcome: Failed to fully achieve targets due to droughts and war-related expenses.

• Small-scale industries were prioritized later during the Fourth Plan.
• Agricultural production was always important, but this plan narrowed in on food grain self-sufficiency specifically.
• Poverty alleviation became the central goal in later plans like the Fifth Five-Year Plan.