Context:
25% of beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) either did not take any cylinders during 2022-2023 or took just one refill.
About PMUY:
- Launched in May 2016.
- Aim – To provide LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) connections to poor households.
- Key feature – A deposit-free LPG connection is given to eligible with financial assistance of ₹1,600 per connection.
- Nodal Ministry – Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG)
- Objectives –
- Empowering women and protecting their health.
- Reducing the serious health hazards associated with cooking based on fossil fuel.
- Reducing the number of deaths in India due to unclean cooking fuel.
- Preventing young children from significant number of acute respiratory illnesses caused due to indoor air pollution by burning fossil fuel.
- Target – To release 8 Crore LPG Connections to the deprived households.
- Eligibility criteria –
- Applicant must a woman above the age of 18 and a citizen of India.
- Applicant should belong to a BPL (Below Poverty Line) household.
- Household income of the family, per month, must not exceed a certain limit as defined by the government of the Union Territories and State Government.
- Applicant must not be a recipient of other similar schemes provided by the government.
- PMUY 2.0 –
- Aim – To provide maximum benefit to the migrants who live in other states and find it difficult to submit address proof.
- Have to give “Self Declaration” to avail the benefit.
- Performance –
- In PMUY 1.0, 8 crore poor families, including from the Dalit and tribal communities, were given free cooking gas connections.
- 3 kerosene-free States -Haryana, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh
- 5 Kerosene-free Union Territories – Delhi, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Andaman & Nicobar Island and Puducherry.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements:
1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
2. It, among other things will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy.
3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Skill Qualification Framework.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2018 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, and 3
Answer: (b)
