The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) is a government scheme launched in 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide LPG connections to women from poor households. The scheme initially aimed to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women below the poverty line. Later, the government increased the target to provide LPG connections to eight crore women by March 2020. The target was achieved seven months ahead of schedule, in September 2019.
Latest Update on PM Ujjwala Yojana – According to the source, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the Union Budget 2021 that the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana would be extended to one additional crore beneficiaries.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scheme Name | Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) |
| Launch Date | 1 May 2016 |
| Launched By | Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
| Ministry | Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas |
| Main Beneficiaries | Women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families |
| Participating Oil Companies | IOCL, BPCL and HPCL |
| Main Purpose | Provide access to clean cooking fuel |
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched by the Government of India on 1 May 2016 to help women from poor households get access to LPG cooking fuel. The scheme initially targeted the distribution of 50 million LPG connections to women below the poverty line. Later, the target was increased to eight crore women by March 2020, a goal that the source says was achieved seven months ahead of schedule, in September 2019.
PM Ujjwala Yojana State Wise Application Form 2026
State-wise
Union Territories
PMUY: What Does the Scheme Offer?
| Benefit | Details mentioned in the source |
|---|---|
| LPG connection | Provided to eligible BPL households |
| Financial support | ₹1,600 for each LPG connection |
| Cylinder-related support | Assistance covers security fee and other fitting-related charges |
| Stove and refill support | Oil marketing companies provide interest-free loans |
| Cylinder sizes | 14.2 kg and 5 kg cylinders, depending on the field situation |
| Coverage | BPL families across different forms of LPG distributorship |
| Priority areas | Hilly and North-Eastern states are treated as priority states |
The source states that the ₹1,600 financial support covers expenses such as the cylinder security fee, pressure regulator, booklet, safety hose and other fitting charges. Oil marketing companies also provide interest-free loans for refilling and purchasing stoves.
Why Is PMUY Important?
| Area | How PMUY Can Help |
|---|---|
| Clean cooking | Encourages the use of LPG instead of polluting cooking fuels |
| Women’s health | Reduces exposure to smoke from unclean cooking fuel |
| Time and effort | LPG can reduce the time and physical effort involved in cooking |
| Indoor pollution | Helps address pollution caused by traditional cooking fuels |
| Women empowerment | Gives women greater access to cleaner cooking facilities |
| Rural employment | The LPG supply chain can provide employment opportunities for rural youth |
According to the source, unclean cooking fuels are linked with serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. It also notes that cooking is largely a responsibility handled by women in many parts of India, making access to cleaner fuel an important part of women’s welfare.
Main Objectives of PM Ujjwala Yojana
- Provide clean cooking fuel to women from poor households.
- Empower women and help protect their health.
- Reduce health problems associated with unclean cooking fuels.
- Help control indoor air pollution caused by polluting fuels.
- Reduce environmental damage linked to the widespread use of unclean cooking fuel.
Who Can Apply?
| Eligibility Condition | Requirement mentioned in the source |
|---|---|
| Age | Applicant must be a woman above 18 years |
| Citizenship | Applicant must be an Indian citizen |
| Household | Family should belong to the BPL category |
| Existing LPG connection | No other member of the household should already own an LPG connection |
| Income | Family income must meet the limit prescribed by the concerned State/UT government |
| Database | Applicant’s name should be in the SECC-2011 list and match the BPL database of oil marketing companies |
| Other schemes | Applicant should not already be registered under another similar government scheme |
Applicants are also required to provide documents related to their identity and BPL status, according to the source.
PMUY and Household Air Pollution
| WHO-related figure quoted in the source | Information |
|---|---|
| People using polluting cooking methods | Around 300 crore people |
| Premature deaths attributed to household air pollution | Around 40 lakh annually |
| Pneumonia-related deaths among children under five | Household particulate matter is cited as a major contributor |
The source uses these figures to highlight the health concerns associated with household air pollution and the need for cleaner cooking practices.
Latest Update Mentioned in the Source
- The source states that in the Union Budget 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an extension of PMUY benefits to one additional crore beneficiaries.
- The source also identifies the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas as the ministry responsible for the scheme.
In Simple Words
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is PMUY? | A government scheme for providing LPG connections to eligible poor households, primarily through women beneficiaries. |
| When was it launched? | 1 May 2016 |
| Who is the main beneficiary? | Eligible women from BPL households |
| Why was it introduced? | To promote cleaner cooking fuel and reduce dependence on unclean fuels |
| What support is mentioned? | ₹1,600 financial assistance per LPG connection, along with other support described above |
Bottom line: The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was designed to expand access to LPG among economically weaker households while addressing health, indoor pollution and women’s welfare concerns. The source presents clean cooking fuel as the central focus of the scheme.
Important Date of PM Ujjwala Yojana
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| PM Ujjwala Yojana Launch Date | 1 May 2016 |
| Launched By | Prime Minister Narendra Modi |
| Original Target | 50 million LPG connections |
| Expanded Target | 8 crore LPG connections by March 2020 |
| 8 Crore Target Achieved | September 2019 |
