Gram UJALA Scheme (ग्राम उजाला योजना) 2026 - EESL Rs. 10 LED Bulb Yojana for Rural Population

ग्राम उजाला योजना 2026: EESL arm Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL) launched the Gram Ujala Scheme on 19 March 2021. Through this scheme, the central government provided high quality energy efficient LED bulbs at just ₹10 per piece in villages of five states in the first phase. This scheme is also called the EESL ₹10 LED Bulb Yojana and it was made for the rural population. This article explains the complete details of the CESL Gram Ujala Yojana 2026.

Scheme has been closed or it was a one time scheme which has been closed by the government.

Gram Ujala Scheme Details

Gram Ujala Scheme was a time-bound programme run by CESL, a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL). Under the programme, 7 watt and 12 watt LED bulbs with three years of warranty were given to rural consumers in exchange of working incandescent bulbs. Each household could exchange a maximum of five LED bulbs. The programme was active till 31 March 2022 under Project Crore, with a target of distributing 1 crore LED bulbs in 2 million rural households.

To improve awareness among rural people on energy efficiency and conservation and provide high quality lighting, the state government started distributing 10 lakh LED bulbs to households in rural Andhra Pradesh. LED bulbs were distributed at a highly subsidised rate of ₹10 per bulb under the Gram Ujala programme. This helped lessen the burden of electricity bills on rural households and helped reduce peak power demand for AP power utilities.

The entire expenditure for the distribution of 10 lakh LEDs was borne by CESL and there was no financial burden on the power utilities or the state government. The main aim of Gram Ujala Scheme was that rural people who cannot afford high quality lighting can benefit from this scheme, which achieves social objectives, income savings as well as climate change benefits arising from energy efficiency.

Former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had been emphasising the need for providing 24x7 quality and cost effective power for which this Gram Ujala project had a good impact on the state's objective. As per the directions of the chief minister, the power utilities were providing 24X7 quality power supply in the state even in remote areas of the rural pockets. LEDs offered under this scheme are energy efficient, and of high quality and long lasting. They consume 88 per cent less energy when compared to incandescent bulbs.

LED is a highly energy efficient lighting technology and lasts 25 times longer than incandescent lighting in general. The LEDs emit very less heat compared with the incandescent bulbs and CFLs which release 90 per cent and 80 per cent of their energy as heat respectively.

Gram Ujala Scheme Phase 1 States

In the first phase of Gram Ujala Scheme, around 15 million LED bulbs were planned for distribution across villages of the following states:

• Bihar
• Uttar Pradesh
• Andhra Pradesh
• Karnataka
• Telangana

Gram Ujala Scheme Phase 1 was financed fully through carbon credits and was the first such LED bulb distribution programme in India. CESL, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), launched the Gram Ujala programme. By December 2021, CESL had distributed 50 lakh LED bulbs under Project Crore, with a target of 1 crore bulbs in 2 million households till 31 March 2022.

Launch of Gram Ujala Yojana Phase 1

Gram Ujala Yojana Phase 1 was launched by Former Union Power Minister R K Singh in Bihar. Under the programme, 7 watt and 12 watt LED bulbs with three years of warranty were given to rural consumers on submission of working incandescent bulbs. Gram Ujala Scheme was implemented in villages of the five states only. Each consumer could exchange a maximum of five LED bulbs. These rural households also had metres installed in their houses to account for usage.

Energy Savings Through ₹10 LED Bulb Yojana

Gram Ujala Yojana had a big effect on India's climate change action. There was energy savings of 2025 million KWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million tonnes CO2/year. The ₹10 LED bulbs given under Gram Ujala Yojana also enabled better illumination at an affordable price. Gram Ujala Scheme brought a better standard of life, financial savings, more economic activity and better safety for rural citizens.

Government Statement on Gram Ujala Scheme

A central government minister said "It is a moment of great pride and joy that we are able to find a solution that will provide affordable and high-quality LEDs to our rural population. I commend the efforts of Convergence (CESL) for their relentless work in taking the country's vision forward. I am sure such commitment and effort will be replicated across rural areas of India".

Gram Ujala Scheme was a very important scheme based on a new model using carbon credits. Gram Ujala helped the fight against climate change by increasing energy efficiency, and also brought a better standard of life, financial savings, and better safety for citizens in rural areas.

Need for Gram Ujala Scheme

Ujala programme could not touch every village because the rural consumers were not able to pay ₹70 per LED bulb. With Gram Ujala scheme, the central government took back the consumer's incandescent bulbs and provided this high-quality LED bulb for ₹10 per bulb. Also, carbon credit documentation was sent to UN-accredited validators for inclusion into the Shine Programme of Activities. For details of the main Ujala Scheme under which LED bulbs, tube lights and fans are available, check the separate article.

Carbon Credits under Shine Programme of Activities

Carbon credits were prepared under the Shine Programme of Activities with an option for verifying under the Voluntary Carbon Standard, depending on the needs of buyers. Carbon credit buyers were also sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market. The balance cost and margin on the LED cost was recouped through the carbon credits earned.

With price being one of the main barriers, the Gram Ujala programme was made to support widespread distribution by removing the chief barrier for rural consumers. In addition, the energy savings reduced household's energy outlay, enabling higher disposable income and savings.

Gram Ujala Scheme Details in Hindi

ग्राम उजाला योजना अथवा Gram Ujala Scheme एक नई योजना है जिसके तहत देश भर के ग्रामीण इलाकों में केवल 10 रुपए में LED बल्ब मिलेगा। Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) देश के ग्रामीण इलाकों 10 रुपए प्रति बल्ब के हिसाब से 60 करोड़ LED बल्ब देने की योजना पर काम कर रही है। ग्राम उजाला स्कीम के तहत दिये जाने वाले बल्ब को केवल 10 रुपए में दिया जाएगा वो भी बिना किसी सरकारी मदद या सब्सिडी के। इस नई एलईडी बल्ब योजना देश में पर्यावरण को सुधारने के साथ साथ मेक इन इण्डिया के मिशन को आगे बढ़ाने में अहम भूमिका निभाएगी।

EESL, जो कि इस समय विश्व की सबसे बड़ी एलईडी योजना UJALA चला रही है, एक और नई ग्राम उजाला योजना को United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) के तहत रजिस्टर करवाने की ओर कदम बढ़ा चुकी है। United Nations के CDM के तहत इस योजना को रजिस्टर करवाने पर EESL को कार्बन क्रेडिट्स मिलेंगे जिससे हुई आय प्रत्येक LED बल्ब के लिए 60 रुपए का योगदान देगी।

ग्राम उजाला योजना - केवल 10 रुपए में मिलेगा LED बल्ब

EESL वर्ष 2014 से उजाला योजना के तहत एलईडी बल्ब 70 रुपए में उपलब्ध करवा रही है, तो 60 रुपए के योगदान के बाद जो 10 रुपए बचेंगे बस वही लोगों को एलईडी बल्ब खरीदने के लिए देने पड़ेंगे। ईईएसएल के मुताबिक ग्रामीण उपभोक्ता एलईडी बल्ब खरीदने के लिए 70 रुपए देने में असमर्थ है। इसीलिए इस नई ग्रामीण उजाला योजना को शुरू किया जाएगा। EESL इस योजना के तहत लोगों से उनके CFL बल्ब वापस लेगी और केवल 10 रुपए में नए LED बल्ब उपलब्ध करवाएगी।

EESL द्वारा चलायी जा रही UJALA Yojana के तहत वितरित होने वाले 36 करोड़ बल्बों में से केवल 18% ही ग्रामीण इलाकों के लोगों द्वारा खरीदे गए हैं और इसका एक बड़ा कारण LED बल्ब की कीमत है जो कि 70 रुपए है।

ग्राम उजाला योजना का क्रियान्वयन

ग्राम उजाला योजना (Gram Ujala Scheme) के पहले चरण में 1.5 करोड़ एलईडी बल्ब वितरित किए जाएँगे। कुल 4000 करोड़ रुपए के निवेश में से 600 करोड़ रुपए ग्रामीण उपभोक्ताओं द्वारा दिये जाएँगे और बाकी 3400 करोड़ रुपए कार्बन क्रेडिट्स से हुई आय से लिए जाएँगे।

EESL के मुताबिक जैसे ही योजना CDM के तहत पंजीकृत हो जाती है इसके तुरंत बाद इसे लॉन्च कर दिया जाएगा।

ग्राम उजाला योजना के फायदे

इस योजना का एक बड़ा फायदा तो ये है कि ग्रामीण उपभोक्ताओं को केवल 10 रुपए देकर ही एलईडी बल्ब मिल जाएगा। हालांकि इस योजना का मुख्य उद्देश्य और फायदा ये है कि एलईडी बल्ब के इस्तेमाल से कम बिजली की खपत होगी जो Climate Change में बहुत योगदान देगा।

भारत विश्व भर में अमेरिका और चीन के बाद सबसे ज्यादा greenhouse gases पैदा करने वाला देश है। भारत वर्ष 2030 तक carbon footprint के लेवल को वर्ष 2005 के लेवल से 33%-35% तक कम करना चाहता है और यह नई एलईडी बल्ब योजना इसमें बहुत योगदान दे सकती है।

एलईडी बल्ब कैसे और कहाँ से मिलेगा

ग्राम उजाला योजना के तहत एलईडी बल्ब ग्रामीण इलाकों में वितरण केंद्रों के माध्यम से दिए गए थे। उपभोक्ताओं को पुराने incandescent बल्ब देकर केवल 10 रुपए में नया LED बल्ब मिलता था। हर परिवार अधिकतम 5 बल्ब बदलवा सकता था। यह योजना अब बंद हो चुकी है।

FAQ's

Is Gram Ujala Scheme still running?

No. Gram Ujala Scheme was a time-bound programme that was active till 31 March 2022. The scheme has been closed by the government.

How much did LED bulbs cost under Gram Ujala Scheme?

LED bulbs were given at just ₹10 per bulb in exchange of working incandescent bulbs. Each household could exchange a maximum of five bulbs.

Which states were covered under Gram Ujala Scheme?

The scheme was implemented in rural households of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana.

Where can I check UJALA LED distribution details?

Details of LED bulb distribution under the main UJALA scheme can be checked on the official dashboard at ujala.gov.in.

For more details, visit the official website of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd - EESL official website.