Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a programme launched by the government on May 1, 2016, by Mr Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, India. The implementation of the scheme is under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas through its Oil Marketing Companies.

• The primary purpose of the scheme is to distribute LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to the women of low households in India.
• The programme was initially launched with a budget of Rs. 80 billion.
• Initially, five crores BPL (below poverty line) households were targeted through PMUY; the target was achieved by March 31, 2019.
• An additional allocation of Rs 4,800 crore was done, and the target was expanded to benefit 80 million low-income families through the scheme.
• Under this scheme, towards an initiative for the loss by Covid-19 outbreak, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister of India, announced to provide cylinders free of cost to the BPL families from March 26, 2020, for three months.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Objective

• The main objective of this PMUY scheme was to provide clean fuel to women who are below the poverty line. This is done to prevent any harm to human health by using unclean energy in cooking.
• To protect the health of people and to empower women.
• To control the pollution while preventing any harm to the environment by the use of unclean fuels and fossil fuels while cooking.
• To prevent and control the issues in health due to usage of unclean fuel in cooking.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Key Features

• This scheme is a tool for empowerment of women as using LPG connections and cooking the food with clean fuel will not only keep them healthy but also decrease the time and effort required in cooking, as mostly in India cooking is considered as a responsibility that is solely on the shoulders of a woman.
• The scheme also helps in the employment of the youth of rural regions in the chain of supply of cooking gas.
• Twenty-two million total LPG connections were distributed to BPL women in the first year of the launch of the scheme.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Eligibility

• The applicant for the scheme must be a woman who is a citizen of India and is above age 18.
• The applicant for the scheme should belong to a below poverty line family. No other member of the family should have an LPG connection of their own.
• The household family income of the applicant should not exceed a definite limit that is prescribed by the State governments/UTs.
• The applicant should not be a recipient of the benefits of any other similar schemes by the government.
• The name and details of the applicant should match with the information provided in the BPL’s database of oil marketing companies.
• The beneficiaries of the PMUY scheme are identified by the Socio-Economic Caste Census List-2011 (SECC-2011).
• In case the names of the applicant are not included in SECC-2011, they should at least be identified from the below seven categories - Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, Antyoday Anna Yojana (AAY), All SC/STs households beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY) (Gramin), Most Backward Classes (MBC), Forest dwellers, People residing in river islands and People living in Islands.

Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana

• The scheme will effectively address the issues or difficulties faced for accessing LPG for the purpose of cooking by people in the areas of Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, States of Jammu and Kashmir, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• Under the PMUY scheme, interest-free loans are also provided by the oil marketing companies to purchase or refill stoves.
• The benefits of the scheme are also provided to the people of ‘Priority States’ that include the hilly areas and states of the North East region of India.
• A certain amount of financial support is also provided to the families below the poverty line for each LPG connection.

FAQs

MCQs

1. Which of the following is the primary objective of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)?

A) To provide free electricity connections
B) To provide free LPG connections to BPL families
C) To provide cooking gas at subsidized rates to all households
D) To provide financial support for renewable energy sources

2. Who is eligible for the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)?

A) All women in rural areas
B) Women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households
C) Men from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households
D) Urban women living in slum areas

3. How much financial assistance is provided to BPL households under PMUY?

A) Rs. 500
B) Rs. 1000
C) Rs. 1600
D) Rs. 2500

4. Which of the following is an environmental benefit of the PMUY?

A) Reduction in the use of coal
B) Increase in the use of solar energy
C) Reduction in the use of traditional fuels like firewood
D) Expansion of electric cooking systems

5. What is the impact of PMUY on public health?

A) It increases the risk of respiratory diseases
B) It reduces the risk of respiratory diseases
C) It has no effect on public health
D) It increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) in promoting sustainable development in India.

Answer: PMUY plays a vital role in promoting sustainable development by providing access to clean cooking fuel for rural and economically disadvantaged families. It addresses both health and environmental issues by reducing the dependence on firewood and coal, which are major contributors to indoor air pollution and deforestation. Moreover, the initiative empowers women by easing their household duties, improving their quality of life. The financial assistance provided helps alleviate poverty and fosters economic growth by encouraging the adoption of cleaner technologies, thus contributing to India’s sustainable development goals.

Q2: Explain how the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is linked to the broader goals of women empowerment and poverty alleviation in India.

Answer: PMUY contributes to women empowerment by providing free LPG connections to women, primarily in rural areas. This reduces the time and effort spent on gathering traditional fuels like wood and biomass, enabling women to focus on education, work, and health. By providing a clean, safe, and efficient cooking option, the scheme improves health outcomes and provides economic savings. Additionally, by reducing the burden of household chores, PMUY contributes to improving women's social status and their active participation in economic and social activities, directly contributing to poverty alleviation and empowerment.

Q3: Evaluate the impact of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on India’s environmental sustainability efforts.

Answer: PMUY contributes significantly to India's environmental sustainability by decreasing the reliance on biomass fuels like firewood and charcoal, which contribute to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. By promoting LPG usage, PMUY helps reduce air pollution both indoors and outdoors. This shift to cleaner cooking fuel also plays a role in mitigating climate change by cutting down carbon emissions. As part of the broader Clean India initiative, PMUY aligns with the country's goals for environmental protection and a sustainable future, contributing to better air quality and supporting the transition to cleaner energy sources.

Previous Year Questions on PMUY

1. UPSC CSE Mains 2021 (GS Paper 2):

Question: "What are the objectives of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)? Discuss its implications for health and environmental sustainability."

Answer: PMUY aims to provide free LPG connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, primarily focusing on women. The scheme significantly reduces the use of polluting fuels like firewood and coal, leading to better indoor air quality and improved health outcomes. Environmentally, it helps in reducing carbon emissions and deforestation. By shifting towards cleaner fuels, PMUY contributes to a sustainable and healthier environment for rural communities.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2019 (GS Paper 2):

Question: "Discuss the role of government schemes like PMUY in empowering women and contributing to poverty alleviation in rural India."

Answer: PMUY empowers rural women by providing them with LPG connections, reducing their dependence on time-consuming and health-hazardous traditional fuels. This not only improves their health but also frees up time for education and other productive activities. The scheme significantly contributes to poverty alleviation by reducing fuel costs and health expenses, thereby improving the economic conditions of BPL households.