---
title: "National Development Council — Definition & Meaning"
description: "The National Development Council was India's key body for approving Five-Year Plans, chaired by the Prime Minister and including all Chief Ministers."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/national-development-council"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The National Development Council was India's apex extra-constitutional body for approving Five-Year Plans, chaired by the Prime Minister with all Chief Ministers as members.
- Is the National Development Council a constitutional or statutory body?
- Who were the members of the NDC and who chaired it?
- What was the principal function of the NDC?
- What is the current status of the NDC after the creation of NITI Aayog?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 6 August 1952

   The National Development Council (NDC), also called the Rashtriya Vikas Parishad, was constituted by an executive resolution of the Government of India on t…

2. 27 December 2012

   The NDC held its first meeting in November 1952 and met at irregular intervals thereafter; it approved successive Five-Year Plans from the First (1951–56) th…

3. 1 January 2015

   With the abolition of the Planning Commission and the creation of the NITI Aayog by a Cabinet resolution of , the planning architecture was fundamentally res…

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In December 2012, the National Development Council, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012–17) targeting 8% annual growth at its 57th and final meeting.

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