In March 2019, India achieved nearly 99% rural electrification status. The electrification scheme also known as Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or Saubhagya electrified more than 45,000 households every day for last 18 months. This showcased India’s commitment towards progress, understanding electricity as one of the basic requirements of life. Considering that more than 68% of people in India live in rural parts of the country, this was a decisive action and the journey from the drawing board to success has given India a very realistic idea of how to lead the country towards wholesome growth.
However, electrification of households do not necessarily mean uninterrupted power supply 24×7, which was targeted to succeed by March 2019. Unfortunately, there is still a major gap between electrification and receiving reliable power supply in major states like- Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Therefore, in order to consider 24×7 power for all a reality in the near future, we need to identify hurdles and find solutions.