Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 100 reduction in cooking gas cylinder prices on International Women's Day, aiming to ease the financial burden on households and support women's empowerment.
• The reduction in LPG cylinder prices is part of the government's commitment to ensuring 'Ease of Living' for women and promoting a healthier environment.
• The government also extended a Rs 300 per LPG cylinder subsidy to poor women under the Ujjwala Yojana for the next fiscal year, benefiting nearly 10 crore families.
• The subsidy extension, costing the government Rs 12,000 crore, comes ahead of the general elections, highlighting the government's focus on welfare schemes.
• PMUY beneficiaries, now numbering about 102.7 million, will continue to receive the subsidy directly into their bank accounts, supporting cleaner cooking fuel access for poor households.