As early as 1938, the Congress had committed itself to economic planning, having established a Planning Committee, with Nehru as its Chairman. In two major areas, land reforms and construction of the public sector in industry, Free India in the first three decades had considerable achievements to its credit. As far as industry was concerned, it was the Second Five-Year Plan (1956–61), which created a large public sector, especially in heavy industry. Credit must be given to our nation’s founders also for their effort in the cause of women’s empowerment. Irfan Habib is Professor Emeritus, CAS, Department of History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Source: The Hindu August 14, 2021 20:37 UTC