India News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Saubhagya: Aiming for good luck with new name

Published

9 years ago

September 26, 2017

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A new name, a new extended deadline, a new, expanded budget for an old scheme with the same old goal: total electrification. This is the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – ‘Saubhagya’, meaning ‘good luck’ – scheme that aims to provide electricity connections to “all willing households” across both urban and rural areas, announced with much fanfare by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the birth centenary of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya.

The scheme, pegged at Rs 16,320 crore, will provide free electric connections to an estimated 4 crore poor households.

Here are the elements of the scheme, compiled from government releases and media reports:

– Saubhagya scheme aims to provide electricity to all families in India

– It will provide free electricity connection to poor families of India

– It will give access to electricity to all ‘willing’ households

– Total outlay of the project is Rs. 16, 320 crore while the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) is Rs. 12,320 crore.

– Outlay for rural households is Rs. 14,025 crore while the GBS is Rs. 10,587.50 crore. For the urban households, the outlay is Rs. 2,295 crore while GBS is Rs. 1,732.50 crore.

– Government of India will provide most of the funds for the Scheme to all States/UTs.

– States and Union Territories are required to complete the works of household electrification by the 31st of December 2018.

– Beneficiaries for free electricity connections would be identified using Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data.

– An un-electrified households not covered under the SECC data would also be provided electricity connections under the scheme on payment of Rs. 500 which shall be recovered by DISCOMs in 10 instalments through electricity bill.

– Solar power packs of 200 to 300 Wp with battery bank for un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, comprises of Five LED lights, One DC fan, One DC power plug. It also includes the Repair and Maintenance (R&M) for 5 years.

– Though the power connections, that will cost between Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,000, will be given free, the government has said there would not be any subsidy for monthly consumption of electricity. Consumers will have to pay the bill as per their utilisation.

– All power meters will have technology driven registration, payment and consumer billing to avoid any leakage. There will be both centre and state-level monitoring and web-based monitoring mechanism of the scheme.

– 90% of the targeted un-electrified households falls in the more than 10 states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and J&K.

Modi government aims to achieve with the scheme:

(a) Environmental upgradation by substitution of Kerosene for lighting purposes

(b) Improvement education services

(d) Enhanced connectivity through radio, television, mobiles, etc.

(e) Increased economic activities and jobs

(f) Improved quality of life especially for women

The government also hopes that by pumping Rs 16000 crore into the economy, additional job opportunities may open up.

There is little that is new in the scheme. The same wine has seen several ‘new bottles’. Earlier, we had Garv, Garv-II, IPDS, DDUGJY, Uday and Ujala and now, Saubhagya has joined the long list of schemes promising ‘power for all’.

Basically, the new scheme would provide more central funds, mostly for subsidy. Under the Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna (DDUGJY) launched in July 2015, the central government already gives subsidies to states to provide free connections to people living below the poverty line. Besides, the DDUGJY was a revised version of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) that the Congress-led UPA government had announced in 2005. Under that programme too, the central government gave a subsidy to states to provide free electricity connections that the poor.

At the time of Independence, only 1,500 villages were electrified. Between 2005-2012, during the tenure of the UPA government, 104,496 villages were electrified and connections were provided to 21.5 million households. Of these, 19 million households were provided free connections.

When the Modi government announced the new avatar of the rural electrification scheme, only 18,452 villages remained without power. In 2015, Modi had set a target of 1,000 days for electrifying the 18,452 villages that did not have electricity connection. Of these, 14,483 are mentioned as electrified on the GARV dashboard, which captures real-time data for rural electrification. However, while the speed of progress in powering villages is laudable, household electrification data remain dismal.

Currently, as per the Centre’s 2006 rural electrification policy, a village is declared to be electrified if 10% of the households are given electricity along with public places such as schools, panchayat office, health centres, dispensaries and community centres. Nowhere does the definition talk about actual electricity connection or its supply to the household.

This is why 99.5 per cent villages in the country have been deemed “electrified” even though of the 170 million households, 40 million remain to be fully electrified. Also, 24×7 power is still a far cry even for the electrified households.

On Monday, Narendra Modi said the government will electrify 2,986 remaining villages by December 2017 to help take power to all households by December 2018.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

20 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

20 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

India News

PM Modi’s Saptadhara Vision: 7 streams driving India’s next growth phase

PM Modi outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, identifying seven streams including manufacturing, farming, technology, defence, green energy and soft power.

Published

20 hours ago

August 15, 2026

APNLive Desk

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on Saturday, outlined “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, describing seven key streams that he said can drive India’s next phase of growth and strengthen its journey towards self-reliance and development.

The seven streams identified by the Prime Minister are manufacturing, farming, technology, Gatishakti, Raksha Shakti, green and blue economy, and soft power.

Calling on the country to focus on these areas, PM Modi said the seven streams represent India’s strength and can help the country become more self-reliant.

Manufacturing as the engine of growth

PM Modi called manufacturing the first stream of Saptadhara and stressed the need to significantly strengthen the sector.

He said India needs to produce both components and complete products and should emerge as a key destination in global supply chains.

The Prime Minister highlighted cost, quality and scale as important factors for Indian manufacturers to compete globally. He also stressed the importance of attractive packaging and precision in manufacturing.

Farming and food processing

Agriculture and food processing were identified as the second stream.

PM Modi said global markets are increasingly accessible to Indian farmers and called for greater efforts to take agricultural products from farms to international markets.

He highlighted traditional foods, millets, spices, fruits and vegetables, saying these products should be developed into global brands.

Technology and innovation

Technology and innovation form the third stream of Saptadhara, according to PM Modi.

He highlighted areas such as data centres, robotics and emerging technologies, saying India should aim to become a hub for these sectors.

Referring to the country’s experience with UPI and Digital Public Infrastructure, PM Modi said India has already demonstrated its technological capabilities and must now take the next leap in next-generation communication technology.

He also spoke about the goal of Made-in-India 6G reaching across the country.

Gatishakti and faster connectivity

The fourth stream is Gatishakti, with the Prime Minister stressing the importance of speed and connectivity for India’s growth.

PM Modi called for greater emphasis on roads and expressways to support businesses and said the country needs seamless, high-speed connectivity.

He also highlighted high-speed rail connectivity between cities and port-led development as areas requiring greater focus.

Raksha Shakti and self-reliant defence

Defence is the fifth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater self-reliance in defence manufacturing and highlighted the need to develop advanced technologies in the sector.

He particularly stressed the importance of drone and counter-drone technology, saying India needs to invest in these areas.

The Prime Minister also said India should move beyond being a market for defence equipment and work towards becoming a global supplier by developing next-generation defence technologies.

Green and blue economy

Green energy forms the sixth stream of Saptadhara.

PM Modi called for greater innovation in green energy and said India should aim for global leadership in green hydrogen, renewable energy and energy storage while continuing to contribute solutions to global challenges.

He also highlighted opportunities in the Blue Economy, particularly in fisheries, coastal tourism and ocean technology, saying these areas can create new pathways for India’s growth.

Soft power

Soft power is the seventh stream identified by PM Modi.

He cited Yoga, handicrafts, films, animation, gaming, digital content and the creative sector as examples of India’s soft power.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s potential to attract global tourists and called for greater focus on the country’s tourism opportunities, including its national parks and other attractions.

With “Shakti Ki Saptadhara”, PM Modi outlined a broad growth framework covering manufacturing and agriculture, emerging technology, connectivity, defence, sustainable energy, the blue economy and India’s cultural and creative influence.