In 1959, Shri Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar published five principles in English as the “five fundamental principles of Prout”. They were published as part of the discourse “The Cosmic Brotherhood” in the book Idea and Ideology. In 1962, Shrii Sarkar published the English edition of another book, Ánanda Sútram, dictated the year before, whose fifth chapter contains sixteen Sanskrit sútras, or aphorisms, presented as the content of the Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout). Aphorisms 12 to 16 correspond to the five fundamental principles given earlier in English. In 1989, as part of the discourse "Minimum Requirements and Maximum Amenities", Shrii Sarkar added two further points, included as sub-points to points nine and ten, as indicated below.

1. In the movement of the social cycle, one class is always dominant.
2. Located in the nucleus of the social cycle, sadvipras control the social cycle.
3. Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by applying force is called “evolution”.
4. Accelerating the movement of the social cycle by applying tremendous force is called “revolution”.
5. Reversing the social cycle’s movement by applying force is called “counter-evolution”.
6. Reversing the movement of the social cycle by applying tremendous force is called “counter-revolution”.
7. A complete rotation of the social cycle is called “peripheric evolution”.
8. Variety is the law of nature, there cannot be one hundred percent equality.
9. The minimum requirements of an age should be guaranteed to all.
10. The surplus wealth should be distributed among meritorious people according to the degree of their merit.
    i. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all, even to those who have no special qualities—to common people of common calibre. Maximum amenities are to be guaranteed to all as per environmental conditions. These amenities are for those of ordinary calibre—the common people, the so-called downtrodden humanity.
    ii. All these three points—minimum requirements for all, general amenities for all, and special amenities for the meritorious—are never-ending processes, and they will go on increasing according to the collective potentialities.
11. Increasing the minimum standard of living of the people is the indication of the vitality of society.
12. No individual should be allowed to accumulate any physical wealth without the clear permission or approval of the collective body.
13. There should be maximum utilization and rational distribution of all mundane, supramundane and spiritual potentialities of the universe.
14. There should be maximum utilization of the physical, metaphysical and spiritual potentialities of unit and collective bodies of human society.
15. There should be a proper adjustment amongst these physical, metaphysical, mundane, supramundane and spiritual utilizations.
16. The method of utilization should vary in accordance with changes in time, space and person, and the utilization should be of progressive nature.

This is the Progressive Utilization Theory, propounded for the happiness and all-round welfare of all. – Shrii Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar, 1961