{"id":95489,"date":"2026-03-30T12:04:28","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T06:34:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=95489"},"modified":"2026-03-30T12:04:28","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T06:34:28","slug":"pm-kusum-scheme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/pm-kusum-scheme\/","title":{"rendered":"PM KUSUM Scheme and Battery Storage, Key Developments"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>PM KUSUM Scheme Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government is considering adding battery storage under the revamped PM-KUSUM 2.0 scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>PM KUSUM Scheme<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM), launched in 2019, aims to promote solar energy use in agriculture and reduce dependence on diesel and grid electricity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seeks to ensure energy security for farmers while supporting India\u2019s renewable energy targets.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Objectives and Features<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote solarisation of agricultural pumps.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Provide a reliable and affordable power supply to farmers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce subsidy burden on state electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enable farmers to generate additional income by selling surplus power to the grid.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme is implemented by the <\/span><b>Ministry of New and Renewable Energy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (MNRE).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Funding Pattern<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Central Government: 30% subsidy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State Government: 30% subsidy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmer contribution: 40% (with provision for bank loans).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This shared funding model ensures affordability and wider participation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Components of PM-KUSUM<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Component A<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This component focuses on setting up decentralised, grid-connected solar power plants (up to 2 MW capacity).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farmers, cooperatives, and panchayats can install these plants on barren or cultivable land and sell electricity to DISCOMs.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Component B<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under this component, standalone solar-powered agricultural pumps are installed in off-grid areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It helps farmers reduce dependence on diesel pumps and ensures uninterrupted irrigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Component C<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This component involves solarisation of existing grid-connected agricultural pumps.<\/span>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: square;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has two sub-models: Individual Pump Solarisation (IPS) and Feeder-Level Solarisation (FLS).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IPS allows farmers to solarise their own pumps, while FLS solarises entire agricultural feeders, improving efficiency at scale.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Achievements and Progress<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Target: 34.8 GW solar capacity addition.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Installed capacity: About 12,164 MW as of February 2026.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over 10 lakh standalone solar pumps installed under Component B.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than 13 lakh pumps are covered under feeder-level solarisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increased adoption of clean energy in rural areas.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite progress, implementation has been slower than expected due to financial and operational challenges.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Challenges in Implementation<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delays in financial closure and loan disbursement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High upfront cost for farmers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coordination issues between central and state agencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grid integration challenges due to variability in solar power generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>News Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The government is planning a revamped version of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/what-is-pm-kusum\/\" target=\"_blank\">PM-KUSUM scheme<\/a><\/strong>, likely to be called PM-KUSUM 2.0, to address existing gaps and improve efficiency.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Introduction of Battery Storage<\/b>\n<ul style=\"list-style-type: circle;\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centre is considering adding battery energy storage to the scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current scheme focuses only on solarisation and does not include storage systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Battery storage is being proposed to improve energy management.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Need for Battery Storage<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a mismatch between solar energy generation and agricultural power demand.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solar generation peaks during midday.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Agricultural demand starts in the morning and continues beyond sunset.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This mismatch creates operational challenges for power distribution and grid stability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Battery storage can address this issue by storing excess solar energy during peak production and supplying it later when demand persists.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Policy Discussions<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Different ministries have varying views on the extent of storage capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ministry of Power proposes up to 4 hours of storage.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MNRE suggests a 2-hour storage capacity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discussions are ongoing, including consultations with the Ministry of Finance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Extension of Timeline<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centre has extended timelines for financial closure and project completion under the existing scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This decision was taken due to delays reported by stakeholders, particularly in securing loans from financial institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transition to PM-KUSUM 2.0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The current scheme is set to be subsumed into the new PM-KUSUM 2.0 framework.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States have been advised to coordinate with banks to expedite pending projects before the transition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/business\/centre-may-add-battery-storage-under-revamped-pm-kusum-2-0-10608644\/?utm_term=Autofeed&amp;utm_medium=echobox&amp;utm_channel=echoboxfb&amp;utm_source=Facebook&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawQ21l9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEyNzVHcDJMc0ZBVmZkcmtsc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpP74g0gbPrW1VfC8XNZbMMy37d27GpYLhj3EUhLyJ5HFKO6YWqPAxAFPiSX_aem_3CkMaBTmXi3B3g8xnW4e7Q#Echobox=1774829340\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/pm-kusum-scheme-union-government-likely-to-extend-deadline-again\/article70133993.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PM-KUSUM Scheme 2.0 may add battery storage to address solar demand mismatch, improve farm power reliability, boost efficiency, and support renewable energy goals now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":95496,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,3146,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-95489","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-pm-kusum-scheme","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95489"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":95512,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95489\/revisions\/95512"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}