PM-KUSUM Scheme

Current context: The Finance Ministry said that through Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme, the farmers will be empowered to be the producer of energy.

• The Scheme has a substantial environmental impact in terms of savings of CO2 emissions.
• The Government has targeted to install 175 Giga Watt renewable energy by 2022.
• The PM-KUSUM scheme covers:

1. Grid-connected renewable energy power plants
2. Standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps
3. Solarisation of existing grid-connected agriculture pumps

• The components of the scheme are:

1. Installation of 10 thousand Mega Watt of Decentralized Ground Mounted Grid Connected Renewable Power Plants by farmers of 500 Kilo Watt to 2 Mega Watt capacity.
2. Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.
3. Solarisation of 10 Lakh Grid-connected Solar Powered Agriculture Pumps.

• All the three components of the Scheme combined together are likely to result in saving of about 27 million tonnes of CO2 emission per annum.
• The total central financial support provided under the scheme would be Rs. 34,422 crore.
• PM-KUSUM scheme was launched on 22nd July 2019 under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Question: 

Q.1 The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme was launched on 22nd July 2019 under which Ministry?
a. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
b. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
c. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
d. Ministry of Rural Development