As of July 2025, the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has provided over 10.33 crore Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) connections, empowering rural households with access to clean cooking fuel.
- The union cabinet approved a subsidy of Rs.300 per 14.2 kg cylinder for up to 9 refills per year and Rs.2200 government support per connection for the beneficiaries of the PMUY during Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), at an expenditure of Rs. 12,000 crore.
Exam Hints:
- What? PMUY – LPG connections
- Provided: 10.33 cr LPG
- Launched: 2016, phase -2: 2021
- Top states: UP, Bihar, WB
- SDG: 3, 5, 7, 13
PMUY Objectives:
Objective: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), introduced the PMUY as a flagship scheme for providing LPG connections to women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
- The scheme was launched on 1st May 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
Ujjwala-Phase 1: This phase aimed to provide 5 crore LPG connections to women from BPL households.
- Subsequently, the target was enhanced to 8 crore connections.
- This scheme initially provided financial support of Rs. 1,600 per connection by the government.
Ujjwala 2.0: This 2nd phase was launched on 10th August 2021 to expand the coverage and reach of the distribution by another 1 crore households.
- It aimed to fill the gaps left by the 1st phase and ensure last-mile delivery of clean cooking fuel.
Eligibility criteria: The connection must be issued exclusively to adult women aged 18 years or above.
- The household must not already have an LPG connection and Eligible women must belong to the following categories:
| SC (Scheduled Caste) /ST (Scheduled Tribe) households | Beneficiary of PMAY ( Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana) | Most Backward Classes (MBC) |
| Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) | Tea and Ex Tea Garden Tribes | Forest dwellers |
| Residents of Islands or river islands | SECC-listed households |
State-wise reach of PMUY:
The number of PMUY scheme holders state wise as of December 2024:
Uttar Pradesh (UP): UP is leading with 1.85 crore (cr) households due to its large rural population and high LPG adoption.
Bihar: Around 1.16 cr households, driven by widespread rural uptake of clean cooking fuel.
West Bengal (WB): Approximately 1.23 cr households, with strong outreach to underserved communities.
Madhya Pradesh (MP): About 88.4 lakh households, empowering women in tribal and rural regions.
Maharashtra: Nearly 52.18 lakh households have gained access to clean cooking fuel through the scheme.
Impact of PMUY:
The PMUY has accelerated India’s progress in attaining the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):
SDG 3 – Good health and well-being
SDG 5 – Gender Equality
SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy
SDG 13 – Combat climate change
