SYLLABUS
GS-3: Infrastructure: Energy.
Context: The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana has crossed the milestone of 50.06 lakh rooftop solar installations, reflecting the rapid expansion of India’s flagship residential rooftop solar programme.
About the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
- Launched: 13 February 2024 by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
- Outlay: ₹75,021 crore.
- Target: Solarise 1 crore households by March 2027, providing up to 300 units of free electricity per month through rooftop solar.
- Coverage: A demand-driven scheme open to all residential consumers having a grid-connected electricity connection.
- Objective: Promote residential rooftop solar adoption by reducing electricity bills, strengthening household energy security, and accelerating India’s clean energy transition.
- Key Features:
- Provides Central Financial Assistance (subsidy) of up to 40% (maximum ₹78,000) for rooftop solar installations through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
- Offers collateral-free concessional loans at 5.75% (Repo Rate + 50 basis points) through Jan Samarth.
- Entire process—from application to subsidy disbursal—is 100% online through the National Portal.
- Subsidy is generally released within 15 days after commissioning through PFMS integration.
- Deemed approval, technical feasibility waiver, and auto load enhancement for rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW.
- Digital Net Metering Agreement, API integration with over 80 DISCOMs, vendor rating framework, and DCR portal integration ensure transparent and seamless implementation.
- 32 States and Union Territories have removed application and net-metering charges.
- Major Components:
- Utility Led Aggregation Model: It facilitates rooftop solar adoption among Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Below Poverty Line and Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe households.
- Under the model, 1.6 lakh installations have been completed across four States, and it has been approved for rollout in 12 States.
- Model Solar Village: The scheme aims to establish one Model Solar Village in every district with a total allocation of ₹800 crore.
- The best-performing village in each district is provided a ₹1 crore incentive to promote decentralized renewable energy adoption.
Significance of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
- Rapid Expansion of Residential Rooftop Solar: The scheme has crossed 50.06 lakh rooftop solar installations, commissioned 14.8 Gigawatt of capacity, increased the installation pace by 3.2 times, and is currently adding 1 lakh households every six days.
- Household Savings and Income Generation: Nearly 19 lakh households are receiving zero electricity bills, while more than 12 lakh households earned ₹421 crore by selling surplus electricity during Financial Year 2024–25, generating an additional income of around ₹3,500 per household annually.
- Supporting Green Growth and Employment: The scheme has created a nationwide rooftop solar ecosystem with 34,219 registered vendors (including 29,469 active vendors), trained over 2.32 lakh people, and is expected to generate around 17 lakh direct jobs.
- Advancing Energy Security and Clean Energy Transition: By promoting decentralized rooftop solar, solarising 1.06 lakh Government buildings, and targeting 30 Gigawatt of additional rooftop solar capacity, the scheme strengthens household energy security and accelerates India’s clean energy transition.
- Supports India’s Climate Commitments: The scheme contributes to India’s target of achieving 500 Gigawatt of non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030 and supports the country’s net-zero emissions target by 2070 under the Panchamrit commitments and updated Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.
Sources:
Newindianexpress
Pib
Thehindu
Pib