{"id":35518,"date":"2025-01-15T18:39:32","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=35518"},"modified":"2025-01-15T19:03:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T13:33:28","slug":"recalibrating-pm-kusum-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/15-01-2025\/recalibrating-pm-kusum-scheme","title":{"rendered":"Recalibrating PM-KUSUM Scheme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/Government Policy and Intervention; GS3\/Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As the <strong>Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme<\/strong> approaches its target year of 2026, a recalibration is necessary to address challenges and optimize its impact in <strong>achieving energy security for farmers, promoting renewable energy, and meeting climate commitments.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About the PM-KUSUM<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was launched by the <strong>Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)<\/strong> aimed at enhancing energy security for farmers and <strong>promoting the use of renewable energy in the agricultural sector.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It seeks to achieve multiple objectives, including reducing the dependency on diesel in the farm sector, increasing farmers\u2019 income, and contributing to India\u2019s renewable energy targets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The PM-KUSUM scheme aims to <strong>enhance farmers&#8217; energy independence and promote renewable energy adoption<\/strong> through three key components.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Component A<\/strong> targets the installation of 10,000 MW of decentralized renewable energy plants on barren land, with power sold to DISCOMs at feed-in tariffs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Component B <\/strong>focuses on <strong>installing 17.50 lakh standalone solar agricultural pumps in off-grid areas<\/strong>, offering 30% central assistance, 30% state subsidy, and 40% farmer contribution.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Component C <\/strong>supports the solarization of 10 lakh grid-connected pumps, enabling farmers to use solar energy for irrigation and sell surplus power to DISCOMs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Benefits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Socio-Economic Benefits: <\/strong>Provides affordable and reliable energy access to marginalized farmers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reduces dependency on expensive diesel and erratic grid supply.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Help in doubling the farmers\u2019 income.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Surplus energy sold to DISCOMs generates additional revenue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cuts operational costs, and enhances profitability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Boosts local employment through installation, maintenance, and operations of solar infrastructure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Environmental Benefits:<\/strong>&nbsp; Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 32 million tonnes of CO\u2082 annually.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promotes sustainable agricultural practices by minimizing reliance on fossil fuels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advances India\u2019s commitment to achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 under Panchamrit targets.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological Benefits:&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Promotes innovation in solar technology and supply chains.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Encourages adoption of low-maintenance solar pumps and hybrid systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Challenges<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Implementation Bottlenecks: <\/strong>Slow Progress like only 30% of targets achieved as of 2024.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Centralized implementation has sidelined local agencies with field expertise.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Affordability and Accessibility:<\/strong> Despite subsidies, high upfront costs deter adoption, especially among small and marginal farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Availability of Subsidized Electricity:<\/strong> Heavily subsidized electricity for farmers reduces their incentive to adopt solar pumps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heavily subsidized electricity for farmers reduces their incentive to adopt solar pumps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technical and Logistical Issues: <\/strong>Lack of uniformity in pump capacities and poor maintenance infrastructure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integration with DISCOMs:<\/strong> Financially stressed DISCOMs are hesitant to procure surplus solar power from farmers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional Disparities:<\/strong> States with better infrastructure like Haryana and Rajasthan outperform others like Bihar and Odisha.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Success Stories and Potential<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>PM-KUSUM<\/strong> has<strong> contributed to the reduction of diesel consumption<\/strong> in the agricultural sector, and provided farmers with a reliable and sustainable source of energy.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By promoting the use of solar energy, the PM-KUSUM scheme aligns with India\u2019s commitment to increasing the share of installed capacity of <strong>electric power from non-fossil fuel sources to 40% by 2030.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beneficiaries like Devki Devi and Sunita Devi, known as<strong> \u2018Solar Didis\u2019 <\/strong>from Bihar, have benefited from local government programs and the<strong> Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India)<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Their experiences underscore the potential of solar energy to transform agricultural practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Recommendations (Need for Recalibration)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Decentralization:<\/strong> Empowering local agencies to implement the scheme based on regional needs and conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Incentives for Solar Adoption:<\/strong> Enhancing incentives for farmers to adopt solar pumps by addressing the issue of cheap electricity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>More Focus on Components A and C:<\/strong> Prioritizing the implementation of Components A and C to ensure balanced progress across all components.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>DISCOM Viability:<\/strong> Introduce policy incentives for DISCOMs to ensure timely procurement of surplus power.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>State-Specific Strategies<\/strong>: Develop state-level plans for equitable distribution and efficient implementation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The PM-KUSUM scheme has the potential to drive India\u2019s climate action and promote sustainable agricultural practices.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, to realize this potential, it is crucial to address the implementation challenges and recalibrate the scheme to meet its targets by 2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Daily Mains Practice Question<\/strong><br><strong>[Q]<\/strong> Analyze the socio-economic and environmental significance of the PM-KUSUM scheme. Highlight the challenges in its implementation and suggest ways to recalibrate the scheme for better outcomes.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindubusinessline.com\/opinion\/time-to-recalibrate-pm-kusum-scheme\/article69096811.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: BL<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/UPSC-Editorial-Analysis-15-January-2025-PDF.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme approaches its target year of 2026, a recalibration is necessary to address challenges and optimize its impact in achieving energy security for farmers, promoting renewable energy, and meeting climate commitments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35518"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35526,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35518\/revisions\/35526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}