Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan
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| Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan |
| Other names | PM-KUSUM |
| Formed | 2019 |
| Jurisdiction | India |
| Parent agency | Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India) |
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan is an Indian central government initiative launched to promote decentralized solar power generation for agricultural consumers and to enhance income for Farmers through renewable energy deployment. The scheme aims to install large-scale solar capacity across Rural electrification contexts and to reduce dependence on conventional power plants by enabling feed-in of surplus power into state grids and distribution networks such as State Electricity Boards and Power Grid Corporation of India. It connects agricultural policy, energy transition, and rural development priorities set by recent administrations including the Narendra Modi ministry (2019–present).
Background and Objectives
The program was announced in the context of national targets like the National Solar Mission and commitments under international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement. It addresses issues raised in reports by institutions like the NITI Aayog and recommendations from the Central Electricity Authority (India), combining objectives from schemes administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India), Ministry of Power (India), and state-level entities including Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan electricity departments. Primary objectives include increasing installed solar capacity aligned with targets of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, providing additional income streams to Farmers similar to proposals in Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, and improving energy access comparable to implementations under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana. The scheme also aims to assist fulfilment of obligations under programmes coordinated by organizations like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Scheme Components and Implementation
PM-KUSUM comprises three components: decentralised solar pumps, grid-connected solarisation of existing agricultural pumps, and large-scale solar plants on fallow land, coordinated through agencies such as the Solar Energy Corporation of India and state renewable energy development agencies like Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam and Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation. Implementation modalities draw on mechanisms used by entities like Rural Electrification Corporation and REC Limited, and on procurement models seen in Solar Power Corporation of India. Technical standards reference those from the Central Electricity Authority (India) and equipment certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards. State governments enter Memoranda of Understanding with central nodal bodies; power purchase and wheeling arrangements often involve State Load Dispatch Centers, distribution companies such as Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited and BSES Yamuna Power Limited, and regulatory oversight by State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
Eligibility and Application Process
Eligible beneficiaries include individual Farmers, farmer producer organisations similar to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development–supported collectives, and local institutions holding land rights; eligible pump sets often correspond to those registered with state agricultural departments such as the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (India). Applications typically route through state nodal agencies like the Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam or district-level offices modeled on procedures used by the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana rollout, requiring documentation analogous to land records registered in portals like Land Records Information Systems and identity proofs such as Aadhaar. Selection criteria mirror practices from National Rural Livelihood Mission implementations, including prioritisation of marginal and small Farmers, and processes for auctioning or tendering follow precedents set by the Solar Energy Corporation of India procurement framework.
Funding, Incentives, and Financial Mechanisms
Financial architecture combines central capital subsidies, state supplements, and concessional loans from public financial institutions like Small Industries Development Bank of India and NABARD. Fiscal incentives reference components of the Ministry of Finance (India) budgetary allocations and draw on models used by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India) for previous schemes; viability gap funding and tariff support involve coordination with Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and state regulatory commissions. Insurance or risk-mitigation instruments have been discussed involving entities such as Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency and payment security mechanisms analogous to those used by Power Finance Corporation. Fiscal stimulus and loan guarantee structures echo instruments used in programmes supported by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in Indian renewable projects.
Impact, Coverage, and Monitoring
Progress reporting has been integrated into dashboards maintained by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India) and state portals used by agencies including the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam. Monitoring leverages metering and telemetry standards in line with the Central Electricity Authority (India)’s grid codes and distribution monitoring systems used by Power Grid Corporation of India. Early deployments indicate capacity additions in states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, with private sector participation from companies like Tata Power and ReNew Power in large-scale components; aggregated outcomes are evaluated alongside national renewable targets administered by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (India). Impact assessments have been proposed to involve academic partners from institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Indian Institute of Technology campuses for independent evaluation.
Challenges and Criticisms
Critiques have focused on land-use trade-offs debated in forums such as the NITI Aayog and environmental reviews including those referencing the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (India), issues of grid integration raised by the Central Electricity Authority (India), and concerns over tariff rationalisation debated before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission. Implementation bottlenecks observed include delays in subsidy disbursement similar to problems noted in Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, inter-agency coordination challenges involving state nodal agencies and distribution companies such as BESCOM, and financing constraints highlighted by analyses from Reserve Bank of India staff reports. Additional criticism relates to equitable access for marginalised Farmers and administrative burdens comparable to those documented in other flagship schemes like MGNREGA and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.