Daily News Analysis

Recalibrating India’s clean-cooking strategy

stylish_lining

Rationale behind introduction of PMUY scheme:

  1. LPG connections are concentrated in Urban and Semi-urban areas mostly to middle class and upper middle-class households.
  2. Low-income households depend on use of fossil fuels such as Kerosene, coal and wood for regular cooking usage.
  3. The burning of fossil fuels in a closed or partially closed environments can cause acute respiratory illnesses, pulmonary and lung diseases and WHO reports ~5 lakh deaths associated due to use of unclean cooking fuels.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):

  1. Introduced in 2016, a social-welfare scheme with a vision of smoke-free rural India.
  2. The scheme intends to provide concessional LPG connections to the whole country by 2019.
  3. Intends to increase LPG usage to low-income and Below Poverty Line (BPL) households and reduce air pollution, deforestation and health disorders among citizens.
  4. Protect the health of women & children by providing clean cooking fuel and reducing their dependency on conventional cooking fuels which will lower indoor smoke pollution and the risk of related diseases.
  5. Intended beneficiaries:
    1. Recipients registered in the SECC-2011 list
    2. All SC/ST household beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Gramin)
    3. Beneficiaries of the Antodhaya Anna Yojana (AAY)
    4. Forest dwellers
    5. Women belonging to the most backward classes (MBC)
    6. Tribal women working or who have previously worked in tea gardens
    7. People residing in islands and river islands.
  6. The PMUY has
    1. Increased the rural distributor base from 18% to 60% of the total LPG distributor base in the country.
    2. LPG as primary cooking fuel has increased from 32% in 2011 to 71% in 2020.

Recent issues in implementation of PMUY:

  1. The issue of home-delivery and distribution channels of cylinders persists.
  2. Increase in LPG prices due to Russia-Ukraine war and dependent LPG imports and a budget dependent on petroleum taxation, it has decreased the refill of cylinders from 4 per year to two or less in the current year.
  3. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing loss of livelihoods and income has pushed rural consumers to usage of LPG cylinders.
    • Of the 24 crore cylinders available, only 14.1 crore cylinders were actually consumer in FY21.

 

                A need to relook the clean cooking strategy by shifting from LPG only strategy needs a shift. With ~100% access to electricity connections in the rural areas, e-cooking using induction cook-tops would be a cheaper and an effective alternative as a clean cooking fuel.

India's Criminal Justice System

The recent acquittal of the 12 men convicted in the Mumbai Train Blast Case (2006) by the Bombay High Court has reignited debate over the effectiveness and integrity of India's criminal justic
Share It

India's Aviation Safety

The preliminary report of the Air India Boeing 787 crash in Ahmedabad by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) remains inconclusive, raising troubling questions about the pilot's i
Share It

Antimicrobial Resistance

India’s steps to regulate the use of antibiotics in food animal production reflect a growing global consensus on the need to address Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The potential consequence
Share It

solar energy potential

India’s push toward leveraging its vast solar energy potential represents a critical strategy for accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions by 2070, as part of its long-term climate
Share It

submarine cables

The issue of securing submarine cables is increasingly being recognized as a sovereign imperative in today's data-driven world. Subsea cables are crucial infrastructure for global communicatio
Share It

STEM

The gender gap in STEM is a critical issue that continues to impede the full realization of India's potential in the global knowledge economy. Despite the notable strides in educational achiev
Share It

ASEAN

India's strategic engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is vital for its economic, technological, and geopolitical positioning in a rapidly changing global landsca
Share It

State Finances and Budgets in India:

State finances play a crucial role in shaping India's broader economic landscape. With India’s federal structure, states not only drive local governance priorities but also contribute si
Share It

India’s Role in the Global Medical Workforce

India has long been a key supplier of skilled medical professionals to the global market, providing healthcare workers to countries in the Global North. However, while India excels in the export o
Share It

Critical Minerals

As the 21st century is increasingly defined by technology-driven advancements, critical minerals have emerged as one of the most significant geo economic assets. India, while a global powerhouse i
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS