Recently, Indian PM announced the completion of electrification of all census villages.
In this context, a look at the efforts of electrification process in India becomes imperative.
How did electrification process evolve in India?
The vision and blueprint for electrifying the country was formulated by BR Ambedkar in early 1940s.
He was then the chairman of the Policy Committee on Public Works and Electric Power, established in 1943.
By 1945, Dr Ambedkar and his team had studied the problems and opportunities for electricity development in India.
They pursued provinces and states to impart a national perspective to electricity development.
Ambedkar's belief was that cheap and abundant electricity can only be provided through a centralised system.
He felt this was essential to ensure the success of industrialisation and bring about socio-economic development.
Electricity was dominated by the private sector and followed a decentralised model during pre-Independence era.
But the committee favoured the state enterprise in development of electricity supply using the best technology of the time.
Accordingly, the Electricity Supply Act got enacted in 1948.
India started carrying out electrification according to the plan formulated by the Ambedkar committee.
How did village electrification go?
During plan periods in the 1950s, there was focus on village electrification, primarily to support rural industries.
From mid-1960s to late-1980s, the focus shifted to pump-set energisation.
But not much progress could be achieved in electrifying villages and households.
Rural electrification increased to only 6% in 1973, 30% in 1991 and 43% in 2001.
Also, electric utilities were suffering from huge losses.
With over half the population without electricity access in 2001, the government launched the Rural Electricity Supply Technology Mission.
This aimed at enhancing electricity access in a targeted manner, using both grid and off-grid technologies.
It was followed by major policy reforms with the passage of Electricity Act, 2003.
What is the present scenario?
Rural electrification got the impetus since the enactment of Electricity Act, 2003, which obligated both Centre and states to enable electricity access.
It led to the launch of large-scale electrification effort in 2005 by the central government.
Efforts to create access to electricity for all households and provide free connections to all below poverty line households were taken up.
In its latest report, World Energy Outlook 2018, the International Energy Agency called India a “star performer”.
This was in terms of achieving the milestone of providing power to each village.
Around half a billion people have gained access to electricity in India since early 2000s.
What is the case with household electrification?
While villages were getting electrified during the last decade and a half, household electrification was lagging.
The government launched the Saubhagya Scheme, or the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, in September 2017.
It aimed at connecting all non-electrified households by March 2019.
It’s a first-of-its-kind scheme focusing on household electrification, regardless of economic status.
It aims to cover 30 million households in rural areas, of which 20 million have been connected.
