Capacity Building And Operational Guidelines For PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana

The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, approved by the Government of India on February 29, 2024, aims to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity. With an outlay of ₹75,021 crore, the scheme will be implemented until FY 2026-27. The scheme focuses on installing rooftop solar plants in one crore households.

Currently, the residential rooftop solar segment is semi-structured, resulting in varying consumer experiences. To address this, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) plans to provide training on the installation, operation, maintenance, and repair of solar rooftop systems. This training is essential for building a capable local workforce across the country.

The guidelines for the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana emphasize skilling and capacity building. The goal is to create over 300,000 skilled personnel through fresh skilling and up-skilling, with at least 100,000 designated as Solar PV Technicians. The capacity-building efforts will also involve DISCOMs, REDAs, Financial Institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a cohesive approach.

The National Programme Implementing Agency (NPIA) will be responsible for implementing and monitoring the skilling and capacity building at the national level. State Implementation Agencies (SIAs) will handle state-level implementation and monitoring. These agencies will formulate and get approval for their respective action plans from the MNRE through the NPIA. Collaboration with various ministries and departments at central and state levels will be crucial for promoting the scheme and ensuring comprehensive capacity building.

A Skilling and Capacity Building Committee (SCBC) will be formed, comprising representatives from MNRE, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, the HRD Division in MNRE, the IFD Division, the NPIA, and other relevant stakeholders. This committee will regularly assess and approve the action plans submitted for skilling and capacity building.

The skilling and capacity building action plans (SCBAP) will include up-skilling, re-skilling, and recognition of prior learning (RPL). The up-skilling training will range from 30 to 132 hours and focus on providing industry-relevant skill certification. Short-term training (STT) courses, aligned with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), will range from 200 to 600 hours. These courses will be delivered through accredited and affiliated training centers, with an emphasis on quality and certification by recognized awarding bodies.

To ensure the training’s effectiveness, the training centers must provide necessary materials like facilitator guides and course handbooks. Additionally, the development of audio-visual aids and training materials will be supported, and all materials will be shareable under a creative commons license for use by the Ministry and display on the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) platform.

Regular monitoring and evaluation will be conducted through the SIDH platform. The committee will periodically review the progress and approve necessary modifications to the action plans. This structured approach ensures that the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana achieves its objectives of enhancing solar rooftop capacity and empowering households while building a skilled workforce across the country.