KEY COMPONENTS OF PC-I
After preparation of the PC-I, the PAO signs the PC-I/PC-II certifying that “the project proposal
has been prepared on the basis of instructions provided by the Planning Commission for the
preparation of the PC-I of the concerned sector projects”. Thereafter, the PC-I or PC-II is to be
submitted to the PIA Section of the planning commission, which circulates it to the members
concerned of the CDWP, including the technical section concerned for their review and
appraisal. (The appraisal process has been addressed in the following chapter.) The PC-I
proforma, along with detailed instructions are available on the Planning Commission’s website12
and placed in Annexure 6.
The PC-I preparation requires a large amount of data collection and analysis. It is important that
the required information is prepared and entered in the PC-I proforma with due care and
diligence to avoid repeated revisions during the project appraisal, review, and approval stages.
The key components of the PC-I are discussed in the following sections.
Project Objective
Every project must have a project development objective along with inputs, outputs, and
outcomes (the results chain), project components and activities to be implemented within a
specific time and cost, along with a monitoring framework. While preparing a project, it is
important that the project’s objective(s) must be aligned with the objectives, goals and targets
set out in the currently operative perspective growth strategy, Five-Year Plan or Annual Plan.
The project must have a clear linkage with the economic development policies of the
government, including the relevant sector policies, strategies, and master plans (as applicable).
The project objectives should be linked to the SDGs indicating the specific Goals, being
addressed by the project. A relationship of the proposed project and its specific contribution (in
quantifiable terms) with other projects (completed or ongoing) in the same sector or sub-sector,
must be highlighted in the project document.
Project Description
The description of a project should provide information about its key features, components
(both hard and soft) and technical aspects. It should also include its justification and rationale, in
addition to a brief account of similar interventions, any feasibility study, and relevant
government policies, sector strategy, and plans of the past. The technology proposed to be
adopted for the project and the source of supply of machinery and equipment should also be
mentioned. It should also be stated whether the project output would be used for import
substitution, for export promotion or for meeting the increased domestic demand or a
combination of these.