INDEX
REFERENCE WITH UPSC-CSE SYLLABUS
WHY IN NEWS
PMUY-I
PMUY-II
REASON TO LAUNCH UJJWALA
BENEFITS TO CUSTOMERS
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
DOCUMENT REQUIRED
CHALLENGES
CONCLUSION
EXPECTED PRELIMS QUESTIONS
EXPECTED MAINS QUESTIONS
REFERENCE WITH UPSC-CSE SYLLABUS
- General Studies-II
- Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.
- Issues Relating to Development and Management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
WHY IN NEWS
- The second phase of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) or Ujjwala 2.0 Scheme by the Prime Minister.
PMUY-I
- Tagline: “Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan“
- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), introduced the ‘Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana’ (PMUY) in May 2016, as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG open to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using old-style cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc.
- Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment.
- The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi.
- The target under the scheme was to release 8 Crore LPG Connections to the deprived households by March 2020.
- On 7th September 2019, Prime Minister of India handed over the 8th Crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
- The release of 8 Crore LPG connections under the scheme has also helped in increasing the LPG coverage from 62% on 1st May 2016 to 99.8% as on 1st April 2021.
PMUY-II
- Without being required to submit additional documents as proof of address, migrant workers will be able to get a free gas connection on the basis of a “self-declaration”.
- To provide deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families who could not be covered under the earlier phase of PMUY with new one crore additional connections under Ujjwala 2.0.
- Require minimum paperwork in the enrolment procedure
MINISTRY
- Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).
REASON TO LAUNCH UJJWALA
- Protecting women health and empowering them.
- Due to unclean cooking fuel reducing the number of deaths in India
- To stop acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution by burning fossil fuel.
- Reducing serious health dangers linked with cooking based on fossil fuel.
BENEFITS TO CUSTOMERS
- Cash assistance for PMUY connections is provided by Government of India - Rs. 1600 (for a connection 14.2kg cylinder/ Rs. 1150 for a 5 kg cylinder). The cash assistance covers:
- Security Deposit of Cylinder – Rs. 1250 for 14.2 kg cylinder/ Rs. 800 for 5 kg cylinder
- Pressure Regulator – Rs. 150
- LPG Hose – Rs. 100
- Domestic Gas Consumer Card – Rs. 25
- Inspection/ Installation/ Demonstration charges – Rs. 75
- Additionally, All PMUY beneficiaries will be provided with first LPG refill and Stove (hotplate) both free of cost along with their deposit free connection by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).
Eligibility criteria to avail connection under Ujjwala 2.0
- Applicant (woman only) must have attained 18 years of age.
- There should not be any other LPG connection from any OMC in the same household.
- Adult woman belonging to any of the following categories – SC, ST, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin), Most Backward Classes (MBC), Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Tea and Ex- Tea Garden tribes, Forest Dwellers, People residing in Islands and River Islands, enlisted under SECC Households (AHL TIN) or any Poor Household as per 14-point declaration.
DOCUMENT REQUIRED
- Know Your Customer (KYC)
- Aadhaar Card of applicant as Proof of Identity and Proof of Address in case applicant is residing at the same address as mentioned in Aadhaar (not mandatory for Assam and Meghalaya).
- Ration Card issued by the State from which application is being made/ other State Govt. document certifying family composition/ Self-Declaration as per Annexure I (for migrant applicants)
- Aadhaar of beneficiary and adult family members appearing in document at Sl. 3.
- Bank Account Number and IFSC
- Supplementary KYC to support status of the family.
- Applicants may apply to any distributor of her choice either by submitting application at the distributor or by submitting a request through Online Portal.
Data from pmuy.gov.in
CHALLENGES
- Providing cylinders to households is one thing and making them use it is another thing.
- Recovery of outstanding loans spent under the scheme are delayed due to Low consumption of refills.
- On 31th December 2018 the annual average refill consumption was only 3.21.
CONCLUSION
- From the suppliers side the figures of refilling are coming some economist have questioned.
- The following company Many Oil Marketing Companies like Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited were linked in to implement the scheme on the ground.
- The figure are by the oil marketing companies and don’t provide the clarity.
- To know the reality of the Ujjwala scheme Consumer-side of data is also needed.
- In urban and semi-urban slum areas its cover to poor households can be extended.
- Need to achieve a higher LPG coverage of the households that do not have LPG by providing connections to them.
EXPECTED PRELIMS QUESTIONS
Q1. Consider the following statement regarding Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
(a) Objective of the scheme is to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc.
(b) This scheme is under Ministry of Power.
Which of the following statement is correct?
(1) a only
(2) b only
(3) Both a and b
(4) Neither a nor b
SOLUTION
STATEMENT A is correct because objective of the scheme is to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to the rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc.
STATEMENT B is incorrect because this scheme is under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).
Q2. Consider the following statement regarding Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
(a) Cash assistance for PMUY connections is provided by Government of India - Rs. 1600.
(b) Applicant (woman only) must have attained 18 years of age.
Which of the following statement is correct?
(1) a only
(2) b only
(3) Both a and b
(4) Neither a nor b
SOLUTION
STATEMENT A is incorrect because it provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empaneled hospitals in India.
STATEMENT B is correct because applicant (woman only) must have attained 18 years of age.
Q3. Consider the following statement regarding Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
(a) Without being required to submit additional documents as proof of address, migrant workers will be able to get a free gas connection on the basis of a “self-declaration”.
(b) To provide deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families who could not be covered under the earlier phase of PMUY with new one crore additional connections under Ujjwala 2.0.
Which of the following statement is correct?
(1) a only
(2) b only
(3) Both a and b
(4) Neither a nor b
SOLUTION
STATEMENT A is correct because without being required to submit additional documents as proof of address, migrant workers will be able to get a free gas connection on the basis of a “self-declaration”.
STATEMENT B is correct because to provide deposit-free LPG connections to those low-income families who could not be covered under the earlier phase of PMUY with new one crore additional connections under Ujjwala 2.0.
EXPECTED MAINS QUESTIONS
Q1.Critically analyses Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) or Ujjwala 2.0 Scheme and discuss the significance of the scheme.
Sources used:
The Hindu,The Indian Express, British Broadcasting Corporation News, Press Trust of India, Business Standard, The Economic Times