Assessing the Impact of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana on the Lifestyle and Mental Health of Rural Women in India

Abstract (English)

India is a developing country where a significant portion of the population still lives below the poverty line. Many villagers, such as laborers and migrant workers who come from other states, lack the financial capacity to afford LPG connections for household use. To address this issue, the Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), aiming to improve the welfare of economically disadvantaged households by providing subsidized LPG connections, particularly to women living below the poverty line.

However, despite the distribution of these connections, there was a substantial number of inactive users, a trend that continued to grow until 2019. This paper explores the impact of PMUY on poor households, with a special focus on rural development and the well-being of women. It seeks to deconstruct the theory and practice of the Ujjwala Yojana, evaluating its implementation and outcomes.

As of recent estimates, nearly 10 crore (100 million) households in India still rely on traditional fuels such as firewood, coal, and dung cakes for cooking. Women, who are predominantly responsible for cooking, are the immediate sufferers of this practice. With the primary objective of empowering rural women and ensuring clean cooking solutions, the Ujjwala Yojana was launched by the BJP government in 2016. Although several improvements followed its launch, many challenges remain—particularly those related to women’s empowerment, mental health, and lifestyle improvement.

This study focuses on evaluating the real-world impact of the Ujjwala Yojana, especially on rural women. The primary objective is to assess how the scheme has influenced women's lifestyle, mental health, and sense of empowerment. To this end, the research thoroughly reviews the components and promises of the scheme, identifies areas where it succeeded, and highlights the gaps that persist in its implementation.

Rather than tracing the entire timeline of the scheme, the study emphasizes recent challenges faced by rural women under PMUY. A field survey was conducted in the rural areas of Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) and Bhabhua (Bihar) to gather empirical data. The findings suggest that significant changes have occurred in women's lifestyle, mental and physical health, and empowerment levels following the implementation of the Ujjwala scheme.