Volunteer Credits: Thank you Vignesh for researching this topic and Renee Owley-Showacy for editing!

What  the Gruha Jyothi Scheme is

The Karnataka government Energy Department’s Grutha Jyothi Scheme provides up to 200 units of electricity per month to eligible households. Karnataka launched the program on 1 August, 2023.

Program participants must pay for any units above their eligible number. Read the Karnataka Energy Department’s Gruha Jyothi Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.

How to apply for the Gruha Jyothi Scheme

You’ll apply for the program through the Seva Sindhu Portal, which provides Karnataka citizens with online access to government services, welfare schemes, and a way to apply for certain certificates without visiting a government office. 

You don’t need an account for the portal to apply for the Grutha Jyothi scheme, but you do need an account for everything else you can do in the portal.

Before you apply

We recommend using Chrome to apply for the Gruha Jyothi scheme. 

You’ll also need to turn off any pop-up or ad blockers you have installed on your browser. You can’t complete this process if you have ad or pop-up blockers turned on. If you need help, read these guides from Google:

• How to install and manage extensions
• How to block or allow pop-ups in Chrome

Information you’ll need

The portal times out after a short time, so make sure you have everything you need to apply before you start.

You’ll need all of the following to apply:

• Your Aadhaar number 
• Mobile number linked to your Aadhaar
• An electricity bill (to get your Account ID)

Steps to apply

Note: You can apply for the scheme in English or Kannada, but the portal starts out in Kannada.

1. Navigate to the Seva Sindhu Portal

2. Find the Gruha Jyothi Scheme:
   1. On the homepage, choose the second part of the semi-circle. It has a lightbulb icon with the bulb icon and a label that says“ಗ್ರುಹ   ಜ್ಯೋತಿ”
   2. A pop-up will appear with 2 options: “1. Apply for Gruha Jyothi” and “2. Check status of application”
   3. Choose “1. Apply for Grutha Jyothi.”

3. Choose your language. You can select English or Kannada.

4. Select your Electricity provider using the “ESCOM NAME” dropdown.
   1. Select “BESCOM” for Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited or “MESCOM” for ​​Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited.
5. Enter your Account ID. You can find this number on your monthly electricity bill.

After you enter the account ID, the Account Holder name and address should automatically appear.

6. Select your occupancy type. This is where you indicate whether you’re applying as the owner, tenant, or family member.
7. Enter your Aadhaar number. The page sometimes freezes for a few seconds or shows a “Not responding” or “Unresponsive page” error. If this happens, choose the “Wait” button.
8. Authenticate Aadhaar. Remember: you must have ad and pop-up blockers turned off to complete this step.
   1. Two new buttons will appear: “Step 1: Aadhaar Authentication” and “Step 2: Get Aadhaar details.”
   2. Choose “Adhaar Authentication.” 
9. The website will redirect you to the e-KYC page.
   1. Enter your Aadhaar number.
   2. Tick the consent box
   3. Choose the “Submit” button. 
   4. You will receive an OTP on the phone number linked to your Aadhaar. Note: You must complete this step quickly because the page will time out after [time].
10. After you authenticate your Aadhaar, choose the second button: “Step 2. Get Aadhaar Details.” This will import your name automatically.

11. In the field labeled “Mobile number for communication” enter the mobile number where you want to receive your OTP for your Gruha Jyothi Scheme application. This doesn’t need to be the mobile number attached to your ESCOM or your Aadhaar.
    1. Make sure you enter your number correctly. Once you enter your mobile number, you’ll get the OTP. If you make a mistake, you’ll have to restart the application process!
    2. The page sometimes freezes for a few seconds or shows a “Not responding” or “Unresponsive page” error. If this happens, choose the “Wait” button.
12. When you see the pop-up, enter the OTP from the SMS message. You’ll see a confirmation after you validate your mobile number with the OTP.
13. Accept the declaration and complete the captcha. 
14. Choose the “Submit” button.
15. After you choose the “Submit” button, you should see a draft of your application. Choose the “Submit” button.
16. After you submit your draft application, you should see an acknowledgement that you successfully submitted your application. Make sure to take a screenshot of this page, or export it as a PDF, in case you need to refer to the information later.

After you complete your application

You should get a confirmation text to the mobile number you provided as part of your application. The message should say, “Your Application No. [application number] for Gruha Jyothi Scheme received and sent to your ESCOM for processing.