PM-KUSUM
Also called: Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan · Topic: Energy Resources of India: Conventional and Non-conventional · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan) is a scheme launched in 2019 to bring solar power to farms. It helps farmers set up solar pumps for irrigation. It also helps them build small solar power plants on barren or farm land. A farmer gets water for crops from sunlight instead of diesel or grid power. Extra power can bring in income. The scheme matters because irrigation pumps use a lot of power in rural India.
Example
In sunny, dry states such as Rajasthan and Gujarat, which have India's best solar potential, a farmer can use a PM-KUSUM solar pump to irrigate fields. A small solar plant can also go up on barren land the farmer cannot cultivate.
Don't confuse with
- PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (February 2024, ₹75,021 crore): this scheme is for rooftop solar on homes. It aims to reach 1 crore homes, with up to 300 free units of power a month. PM-KUSUM is for farms and pumps.
Related concepts
- Solar energy
- Bhadla Solar Park
- Khavda Renewable Energy Park
- Floating solar
- PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana