Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 1 lakh
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat initiative was launched as a community outreach and awareness component linked to the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which provides LPG connections to women from poor households. The LPG Panchayat meetings were designed to spread information on safe and clean usage of LPG, discuss benefits of shifting from traditional fuels, and gather feedback from beneficiaries. This question checks whether you remember the approximate scale of this outreach in terms of the number of LPG Panchayats planned over a period of about one and a half years.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
When dealing with scheme related numerical questions, it is important to remember at least the approximate scale even if the exact number slips from memory. The LPG Panchayat campaign had a target of about one lakh meetings, each involving villagers and Ujjwala beneficiaries. The figure was significant but not so huge as three or five lakh, and it was larger than fifty thousand. Therefore, among the options, 1 lakh is the correct and reasonable target that matches official announcements about the scheme.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to cross check is to recall news coverage and government publicity during the launch phase of the LPG Panchayat campaign. The figure of about one lakh Panchayats was widely quoted as a target that would enable large scale direct engagement with rural women and LPG users. If you remember this key number as being frequently repeated in official communication, then it is easy to verify that none of the other options align with that widely cited target.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Two lakh, three lakh, and five lakh LPG Panchayats would drastically increase the frequency and resource requirement for the programme and were not part of the original stated target. These higher numbers function as distractors by appearing ambitious but they do not match the officially declared plan. The figure of 50,000 is comparatively modest and does not reflect the large scale national character of the campaign. Hence, all these alternatives are inconsistent with the known target of the scheme.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse targets across schemes, mixing up the number of villages, households, or meetings. Another common error is to choose 2 lakh or 3 lakh assuming that a bigger number is more impressive, without recalling whether it was actually mentioned in any credible source. To avoid such mistakes, try to memorise key figures for major flagship programmes and relate them to simple memory aids, such as linking LPG Panchayat with the figure of one lakh meetings.
Final Answer:
The Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayat Yojana planned to organise about 1 lakh LPG Panchayats across the country in roughly one and a half years.
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