Who among the following is the de facto executive head of the Planning…

Concept

In an institution, the formal chair and the day-to-day executive head may be different offices.

The executive head is identified by who serves full-time and directs routine work, while an ex officio chair provides overall policy leadership.

Application

1. In the Planning Commission, the Prime Minister served as the ex officio Chairman.

2. The Deputy Chairman was a full-time member with cabinet rank and handled the Commission's day-to-day executive work.

3. Therefore, the de facto executive head was the Deputy Chairman.

Contrast

• Chairman: the Prime Minister held this position ex officio and provided overall policy leadership.

• Deputy Chairman: this was a full-time Commission position associated with day-to-day executive responsibility.

• Minister of State for Planning: this was a Union ministerial office linked to the planning portfolio, not the Commission's full-time executive post.

• Member Secretary: this office coordinated secretariat and administrative functions rather than serving as the political executive head.

Cross-check and result

The distinction between the Prime Minister's ex officio chairmanship and the Deputy Chairman's full-time executive role confirms the answer: Deputy Chairman.