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.