ItemArticle

Access to clean cooking fuel and discrimination between scheduled and non-scheduled groupsacross urban and rural India

Title
Access to clean cooking fuel and discrimination between scheduled and non-scheduled groupsacross urban and rural India
Creator
Arora, Tarun; Choudhary, Prashant Kumar; Syal, Reetika
Description
Access to clean cooking fuel constitutes a fundamental element of household well-being and national energy security, particularly for marginalized and socio-economically disadvantaged communities. This paper examines the discrimination in access to clean cooking fuel between Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and non-SC/ST households in India. Drawing on data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) 78th Round (202021) Multiple Indicator Survey, the study seeks to quantify the extent of this discrimination and analyze the underlying factors contributing to disparities in clean fuel access. Empirical evidence suggests that non-SC/ST households have significantly greater access to clean cooking fuel than SC/ST households. This disparity is primarily explained by socio-economic variables such as income, education, gender, region, and employment status. However, the decomposition analysis reveals that a considerable portion, 22 percent, of the gap remains unexplained, indicating persistent discrimination that cannot be attributed solely to observable characteristics. The study recommends strengthening last-mile delivery of LPG in SC/ST-dominated areas and integrating energy access with housing programs like PMAY. It also advocates for targeted subsidies linked to caste and income data to support recurring fuel costs. Additionally, the paper emphasizes the need for infrastructure improvements, such as separate kitchens and durable housing, to enable sustained adoption of clean cooking fuels. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Institute for Social and Economic Change 2025.
Source
Journal of Social and Economic Development;
Date
01-01-2025
Publisher
Springer
Subject
Clean Energy; Cooking Fuel; Discrimination; Energy Justice; Scheduled and Non-Scheduled
Coverage
Arora T., Jindal School of Government and Public Policy at O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, Sonipat, India; Choudhary P.K., Department of Public Policy at Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India; Syal R., Department of International Studies, Political Science, and History, CHRIST University, Bengaluru, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 9725792;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Arora, Tarun; Choudhary, Prashant Kumar; Syal, Reetika, “Access to clean cooking fuel and discrimination between scheduled and non-scheduled groupsacross urban and rural India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 19, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22079.

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