PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
Free LPG connections for clean cooking fuel to women from poor households.
The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched on 1 May 2016 from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. The scheme aims to provide free LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households, replacing traditional polluting cooking fuels such as firewood, coal and cow-dung cakes with clean cooking fuel.
Scheme at a Glance
| Launched | 1 May 2016 |
| Lead Ministry | Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas |
| Beneficiaries | Women from BPL households |
| Benefit | Free LPG connection (deposit-free) |
| Launched From | Ballia, Uttar Pradesh |
Objectives
- Empower women and protect their health by providing clean cooking fuel.
- Reduce serious health hazards associated with indoor air pollution from unclean fuels.
- Prevent deaths of young children due to respiratory diseases caused by smoke.
- Reduce deforestation and environmental degradation caused by use of fossil fuels like firewood.
- The LPG connection is issued in the name of the woman of the household.
- Ujjwala 2.0 was launched in 2021 to provide additional connections, including for migrant families, with the first refill and stove provided free.
- The scheme has significantly increased LPG coverage and access to clean cooking fuel in rural India.
Practice MCQs
Q1. In which year was the PM Ujjwala Yojana launched?
a) 2014 b) 2015 c) 2016 d) 2017
Answer: c) 2016
Q2. PM Ujjwala Yojana provides free connections of which fuel?
a) Kerosene b) LPG c) CNG d) Electricity
Answer: b) LPG
Q3. Which ministry implements the PM Ujjwala Yojana?
a) Ministry of Power b) Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas c) Ministry of Health d) Ministry of Rural Development
Answer: b) Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Q4. The LPG connection under PMUY is issued in the name of:
a) Male head of family b) Woman of the household c) Eldest child d) Village head
Answer: b) Woman of the household
Q5. PM Ujjwala Yojana was first launched from which place?
a) Lucknow b) Varanasi c) Ballia d) Patna
Answer: c) Ballia