The present study examines the impact of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) on LPG adoption, girls’ education, and women’s empowerment in rural India. Despite the government’s efforts to provide free LPG connections to low-income households, the intended objective has not been duly fulfilled, in letter and in spirit. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, a field survey and focus group discussions were conducted in three villages across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, engaging 67 PMUY beneficiary households.
Findings reveal that while LPG use is primarily limited to short-duration cooking, solid fuels continue to dominate household energy needs. LPG refill access remains time-consuming and costly, requiring male assistance, which affect the man-days resulting restricts consistent usage. Nevertheless, LPG adoption has reduced indoor air pollution and eased cooking and fuel collection burdens, especially for women and girls, indirectly enabling improved school attendance. However, broader socio-economic and cultural barriers mitigate a direct effect on girls’ school enrollment and academic outcomes. The study underscores that while PMUY has positively influenced health, empowerment, and convenience at the household level, achieving sustained LPG adoption and educational benefits requires addressing refill affordability, supply logistics, and deep-rooted social norms.