ABSTRACT
Energy has become an integral part of the overall development of a society. Energy is required for agriculture, drinking water supply, lighting, health care, telecommunications, industrial activities and for all aspects of everyday life. Provision of lighting and cooking energy for rural and remote areas is a major issue in many developing countries including India. The Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources is responsible for the overall planning and programme formulation as well as the supervision of the implementation of various programme activities. Lighting is one of the basic needs in households. It is also required in community centres, clinics and dispensaries, adult education centres, in streets and in a variety of other isolated locations. In most cases kerosene lanterns of various types including Petromax are widely used in the majority of these locations. Besides requiring imports of vast quantities of oil, such lanterns often provide inadequate lighting, cause pollution and can entail fire hazards.
