This document discusses planning regions and establishes criteria for delineating different levels of planning regions. It defines macro, meso, and micro-regions based on geographical scope and scale of development programs. Macro-regions should contain all essential resources for integrated development and have economic self-sufficiency within the region. Meso-regions are subdivisions of macro-regions and are delineated based on criteria like economic viability and resource potential. Micro-regions are intended for formulation of local development plans and represent communities with shared interests, values, and production types.

1. Planningregions- basic postulates
Planning regions are subnational areas for the purpose of translating the national
planning objectives and targets into regional (spatial) programmes and policies.
Therefore, in the first instance, planning region must be adequate to achieve the plan objectives
which essentially seek maximization of benefits arising from the utilization of resources to achieve
a minimum acceptable standard of living.
To ensure this, it will be necessary to consider for each planning region the nature of resource
endowments of the area, the present level of economic, social and physical development and the
potentials of future development. In other words, the planning region should inherently possess an
assuredeconomicandsocial viability,developedor developable,derivedfrom the resources within the
region.
A planning region must be a viable economic entity; Economic viability may be expressed in terms of
self-sufficiencyof existingandpotential resourcestoreacha desired level of development. The degree
of economic viability may vary, depending upon the level at self-sufficiency aimed at.
Two majorcriteriadefiningthis are 'production'and'employment'.Atthe highestlevel,the region must
be capable of engendering activities that would assure near-full employment and production of
agricultural and non-agricultural commodities which enables it to meet the requirements of food and
other manufactured and consumer goods at a level laid down by the national plan. Production of all
consumer goods may not be achieved, but there should be enough to make exchanges possible.
Self-sufficiency
Self-sufficiency is mainly quantitative and not qualitative; quality is dependent upon the resource
endowments of each area which will induce a process of flow and exchange of goods and services.
In addition toeconomicviability, aplanningregion mustaimata natural balance amongstthe resources
and theirexploitation. Thisnatural balance or'ecological balance'as we may call it, assures a stability of
a different type and lasting character. The fauna and flora of natural region are always balanced and
help to complete to the natural cycle, where the natural cycle is not completed
or obstructed, these are boundtoresultInravines, dustbowls,depletionof soils,desiccation and so on.
To complete the natural cycle, a region must not only mountains but also plains, not only barren land
but alsorich vegetation,etc.The degree of ecological balance thatcanbe attainedwill be dependent on
the diversity of the resources.
Havingexplainedthe requirementsforplanningregionsinbroadterms, the specificcriteriathatshould
be lookedforindelimitingaregionmay be laiddownas follows:
1) The planning region must be large enough to contain a range of resources, conditions and
attitudesthatwouldhelptoestablishthe desired degree of economic viability but at the same
time, not too large as to make a comprehensive approach too general.
2) It should have adequate resources of diverse origin to enable a production pattern to be
developed, both for consumption and for ex-change.
3) There shouldexistanorganizationIntermsof nodal points,eitherdeveloped or developable to
satisfy the organizational needs to the region as a total entity.

2. 4) Planningis amechanismfordealingwith resource developmentproblems. Therefore, the ideal
regionsforplanningpurposeswill be those inwhichanarea-wiseapproachto these problems is
both feasible and desirable.
5) Planning deals with anticipating the future and an area with common potentialities and
probabilities of development would be logical for planning purposes.
6) Since planningrequires the development of insight on consequences of various alternatives, a
contiguous,cohesive area,withinwhichvariousalternativescan be projected and analyzed, has
importance. Such internal cohesion may be the result of homogeneity of resource or their
linkages through complementarily and intra-areal activity or flows.
7) As the ultimate objective of planning is to facilitate the making of rational decision, an area
where some degree of social unity exists is desirable, so that the public can identify these
problems and accept responsibility for meeting thorn.
8) The planningregions cannotcompletely ignore the basicadministrative units.Theyare, in fact, d
erivedbygroupingthe smallestadministrative uniteinrightcombinations.The advantages keepi
ng the smallest administrative unit intact lies in the availability of data by such units and the
existence of a system of administrative communication which provides for mutual feed -
backs and appraisal of results for the guidance of future problem-solving techniques.
9) Planning regions are essentially operational in character and therefore a high degree of
flexibility and elasticity is called for in their conception as well as their delimitation.
Hierarchy of planningregions
Thus,dependingonthe geographical scope withinwhich various developmental programmes could be
effectivelyorganizedanddealtwith,Itis possible tovisualize three major area levels of operation, viz.,
macro, meso and micro. On this basis it would be possible to derive planning regions of various
taxonomic ranks by grouping areas according to the purpose of and scale of development.
Macro-regions
Macro-regions should not only represent areas where inter-related solutions to many problems are
especially necessary, but should also have within their confines a complete matrix of all essential
resources for integrated development. Among these resources, power resources are one of the most
important, as they play vital role in determining the major lines of economic development and in
bringingabouta dispersionof economicactivitywhich isverynecessary forachieving balanced regional
development, ithastherefore,been soughtthateachmacro-regionshouldhave one ormore existing or
potential industrial nucleus may also be an apex centre for the region, which will have its linkages in
a hierarchy of urban-Industrial development. Each macro-region should be characterized by a high
degree of internal cohesion, forming an economic system by itself and having the liability to generate
exchangesbetweenitself bindthe otherregionswithinthe country.This compiles bothcomplementarily
of resources and economic specialization within each macro-regions and involves an analysis of
economicties withinthe regionand itseconomicconnectionswith the rest of the country. The concept
of self-sufficiencyreferredtohere mustbe carefullyunderstood.It does not seek to isolate the regions
into closed circuit or water-tight systems. It only implies some sort of balance in the export-import
situationbetween each region and the rest of the country, which should be achieved in any long term
planning. This is really a test of regionalization and has been applied in the present study only in a
qualitative sense.Thisshouldbe done bymore resource analysisinvolving the preparation of a number
of 'balance sheets', by drawing a up inter-industrial and inter-regional balances of production and
distributionof commodities and by building economic and mathematical models of planned economy
for each region and the country as a whole.

3. Meso-regions
The meso-regions are sub-divisions of macro-regions. They really form the primary economic units for
the purposes of planning the main objective of delineating meso-region is to carve out viable areal
effectiveexploitation,conservationandutilizationof resources.Economic viability implies that a meso-
region is to carve out viable areal units for effective exploitation, conservation and utilization of
resources. Economic viability at the minimum level is the primary consideration for grouping areas to
formmeso-regions.Sucheconomicviability implies thatameso-regionhasadequateresource potential
and established a production pattern sufficient to meet the employment needs of the people in that
unit over a period of time and, at the same time, produce enough food or offer goods which can be
exchanged for food to meet minimum or offer goods which can be exchanged for food to meet
minimumconsumptionneeds.Economicviabilitycouldbe testedbyexaminingthe percapita income of
the componentunits(districts). Suchfiguresare available onlyforsome placesand cannot be used with
any reasonable degree of reliability. In the present case, therefore, economic viability of the meso-
regions has been tested by examining indicators like per capita usable land, productivity index and
manufacturing potential.
Micro-regions
Micro-level,the regionshouldhave some unifyingcore problemof interest.Itshouldinclude all territory
tributary to the core. The areas within a micro-region should be characterized by absence of serious
conflictinginterestswithinthe area.Its populationmustshare certainbasicattitudes,values,needs and
desires.Thusthe micro-regionsmust be designed to represent a “community of interests" particularly
withregardto dynamictypesof production,market relationships and labor supply and demand. In this
way, they will form the best possible combination of structural, organizational and functional factors.
The micro-regionsare Intended to be suitably units for the formulation of area development plans, as
theywill, be sufficientlyclose tothe grassroots,affordingopportunities for direct Inter action between
the citizens andthe administrationtodecide the keyaIssuesInareadevelopment.Theycan be of three
broad types: a) They may be nodal regions consisting of urban centers and the influence areas around
them. In the case of certain nodal regions, such as those of big cities (e.g. Calcutta, Delhi, etc.), the
influence areas can be very large comprising a part of even the whole of a macro-region. The nodal
region, insuchcase, has beeninterpretedasthe minimum influence areas (the metropolitan area) and
not the total hinterland. b) The micro-regions may also be primarily rural areas with a large number of
minor nodes without any organization hierarchy influencing the entire area. Here they may be
conceived essentiallyasservice areascenteredaroundpotentialgrowthpoints whichmay subsequently
developintoone ormore systems. c) Itis alsopossible formicroregionstobe essentially problem areas
of backward areas; for example, a coal belt or a famine-prone area or a reclamation area. The
Rayalaseema area, the Chambal ravines etc.
Regional developmentplanningin India
Regional developmentplanningstartedin Indiaasearlyas1947, whenDamodarValleyCorporation was
set up by an Act of Parliament. The importance of Regional Planning was further recognized in the
seminar on Regional Planning held in Tokyo from 26th of July to 8thAugust 1958. In the various
deliberationsof the Tokyoseminar, itwasrealized thatunprecedented growthof citieshas given rise to
variousproblems,whichneedtobe controlledand channelized into the region for striking a balance of
developmentbetween rural and urban areas. Actually it was in this seminar that the growing need for
Regional Development Planning on global scale was recognized.

4. PLANNING REGIONSOF INDIA
Source:http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/charujaiswal-1543720-planning-regions-india/
A planning region is a segment of territory (space) over which economic decisions apply. The term
'planning'inthe presentcontextmeanstakingdecisionstoimplementtheminorderto attain economic
development. Planning regions may be administrative or political regions such as state, district or the
blockbecause suchregionsare better in management and collecting statistical data. Hence, the entire
countryis a planningregionfornational plans,state isthe planningregionforstate plansanddistrictsor
blocksare the planningregionsformicro-regional plans. For proper implementation and realization of
planobjectives,aplanningregionshouldhave fairlyhomogeneouseconomic,tozoographical andsocio-
cultural structure. It should be large enough to contain a range of resources provide it economic
viability. It should also internally cohesive and geographically a contagion area unit. Its resource
endowment should be that a satisfactory level of product combination consumption and exchange is
feasible. It should have some nodal points to regulate the flows.
Bhat and Rao proposedaregional frameworkforresource development.Delineationwasdone withthe
helpof qualitative mapsof distributionof importantnatural resources.The majorregionscutacrossthe
state boundaries.However,administrativeconvenience wasnotignored.The scheme included7major
and 51 minorregions.Sevenmajorregionsinclude:
(1) SouthIndia,(2) WesternIndia,(3) EasternCentral India,(4) North-EasternIndia,(5) Middle Ganga
Plain,(6) North-WesternIndia,and(7) NorthernIndia.
V. Nath prepared a scheme of Resource Development Regions and Division of India based at the
homogeneity in physical factors, and agricultural land use and cropping pattern. Although the regions
cut across the state boundaries, the division is kept within the state limit. Thus the entire country has
been divided into 15 main and 48 sub regions. These major resource development regions include:
(1) WesternHimalaya,(2) EasternHimalaya,(3) Lower Ganga Plain, (4) Middle Ganga Plain, (5) L Upper
Ganga Plain, (6) Trans- Ganga Plain, (7) Eastern Plateaus and Hills, (8) Central Plateaus and; I Hills, (9)
Western Plateaus and Hills, (10) Southern Plateaus and Hills, (11) Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills, (12)
WesternCoastal PlainsandGhats,(13) Gujarat PlainsandHills,(14) WesternAridRegion,and(15) Island
Region.
Following the Soviet concept of economic regions and production specialisation, P. Sengupta (1968)
presented a framework of economic regions of different order. She started with the discove ry of
planningunitsof the lowestorderandthengroupedandregroupedthemtoachieve planningregions at
mesoand macro levels.Inherscheme of economicregions,Sengupta gave much importance to natural
regions and used modality, production specialization and utilization of power resources as bases of
delineation. Her 7 macro regions are further divided into 42 meso-regions. These 7 regions include:
(1) NorthEasternRegion,(2) EasternRegion,(3) NorthernCentral Region,(4) Central Region,(5) North-
WesternRegion,(6) WesternRegion,and(7) SouthernRegion
C.S.Chandrasekharproposed ascheme of planningregions.He divided India into 13 micro and 35 meso
planning regions. He used the criteria of physical economic and ecological factors to demarcate the
macro planning regions. These regions include:

5. (1) South peninsular region, (2) Central peninsular region, (3)Western peninsular region, (4)Eastern
peninsularregion,(5) Central Deccanregion,(6) Gujaratregion,(7) Western Rajasthanregion,(8) Aravali
region,(9) Jammu & Kashmir and the Ladakh region, (10) Trans Gangetic region & the hill regions, (11)
Ganga-Yamuna plain region, (12) The lower Ganga plain region, (13) North-Eastern region
In 1968, the Town and Country Planning Organisation suggested a scheme of planning regions
delineated on the principle of economic viability, self-sufficiency and ecological balance at the macro
and meso levels. The emphasis of the scheme was to introduce regional factor in economic
development. This approach would complement the macro planning at the national level, with a
componentof regional policies,aimedatreducingregional disparities in the development. The macro-
regionalizationsoughttolinkasetof areas, richin one type of resourceswithareashaving complemen-
tary resourcesorevenresource poorareas,so that the benefits of economic activity in the former may
flow into the latter. These planning regions cut across the State boundaries, but do not completely
ignore the basic administrative units. The 13 macro- regions proposed under the scheme include:
(1) SouthPeninsular(KeralaandTamil Nadu),(2) Central Peninsular(Karnataka,Goa,AndhraPradesh(3)
Western Peninsular (western Maharashtra coastal and interior districts), (4) Central Decca (eastern
Maharashtra, central and southern Madhya Pradesh), (5) Eastern Peninsular (Orissa, Jharkhand north-
eastern Andhra Pradesh and Chatting (6) Gujarat (Gujarat), (7) Western Rajasthan, (Aravalli Region
(Eastern Rajasthan and wasted Madhya Pradesh), (9) Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh (10) Trans Indo-
GangeticPlainsandHills(Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, West Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal), (11) Ganga
-Yamuna Plains (central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, and northern Madhya Pradesh), (12) Lower Ganga
Plains (Bihar and West Bengal Plains), and (13) North-Eastern Region (Assam and north-eastern states
including Sikkim and north Bengal).
Under the directorshipof ProfessorS.P. Chatterji (1966), the National Atlas Organisation proposed a 4-
tierscheme of economicregions.In this scheme macro regions constitute a group of states delineated
with reference to the factors like population, politico-historical considerations, economic ties,
agricultural output, and complementary character of natural resources.***