Revision summary
SDG 7 energy access is the base for poverty, health, education, jobs and climate goals. India expanded household electricity under Saubhagya and DDUGJY, cooking gas under Ujjwala, and efficient lighting under UJALA. National Solar Mission, the 175 GW target and the International Solar Alliance scaled clean power. UDAY tried to repair DISCOM finances; PAT and labels raised efficiency. Gaps remain in hours of supply, refill of LPG, coal dependence and loss-making distribution.
Model answer
Copper italics in this answer — like this — are the key facts. Each one is unpacked in the Facts & figures rail.
Introduction
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 asks for affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy. Without that floor, schools, clinics, farms and factories cannot run, so poverty, health and climate goals stall. India after 2014 treated electricity and cooking gas as mass public goods. Progress on connections is real; quality, cleanliness and financial health of supply still lag.
Body
Why energy is sine qua non for the SDGs
- Cheap, steady power and clean cooking cut poverty and hunger by raising farm and shop hours and by freeing women from fuelwood.
- Clinics, vaccines and education need light and cold chains; dirty fuel drives indoor air deaths, which hits health goals.
- Industry, digital payments and jobs need reliable kilowatt-hours, not only a pole on the map.
- Climate and cities fail if extra demand is met only by inefficient coal and diesel.
Progress in India
- Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) separated rural feeder supply and extended village lines; official data then treated inhabited villages as electrified.
- Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya, 2017) moved the target from the village to the household connection, including poor urban homes.
- Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (2016) gave deposit-free liquefied petroleum gas connections so cooking could leave the chulha.
- Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) cut lighting bills and peak load through LED bulbs.
- Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, the 175 gigawatt renewable target by 2022, and the International Solar Alliance (headquartered in India) pushed solar and wind scale.
- Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY, 2015) and Integrated Power Development Scheme tried to repair distribution losses and urban networks.
- Perform, Achieve and Trade and Bureau of Energy Efficiency labels raised efficiency in industry and appliances.
Comment on gaps
- A connection is not 24x7 quality: voltage, hours and agricultural feeder rostering still vary by State.
- Distribution companies remain loss-making, so they delay payments to generators and under-invest in wires.
- Ujjwala raised connections faster than sustained cylinder refills where income and refill logistics are weak.
- The generation mix is still coal-heavy; renewables need transmission, storage and a solvent buyer.
- Modern energy for SDGs therefore means wires that work, cooking that is refilled, and power that is cleaner, not only a new metre.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD E[SDG 7 modern energy] --> O[Other SDGs jobs health climate] E --> A[Saubhagya DDUGJY access] E --> C[Ujjwala clean cooking] E --> S[Solar UJALA efficiency] A --> G[Gaps quality DISCOM coal] C[C] --> G[G] S[S] --> G[G]
Conclusion
Energy is the base on which other SDGs stand. India has closed much of the connection gap through Saubhagya, Ujjwala, UJALA and solar missions. The next test is reliable, solvent and cleaner supply so the connection becomes a service.
Quick related
Students also ask
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With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (250 Words, 15 Marks).
Next question on this syllabus topic (2018 · Q16). View answer →
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Does village electrification mean every home has reliable power?
No. Village status counted infrastructure. Saubhagya aimed at households. Hours and voltage still depend on the DISCOM.
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Is Ujjwala enough for clean cooking?
A connection is the first step. Sustained use needs affordable refills and supply in remote areas, or biomass use returns.
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