News Brief
Solar panels.
The Union government is preparing to train a workforce of 1 lakh skilled in installing and managing solar panels to support its initiative to help 1 crore homes transition to solar energy, as per a report by The Economic Times.
The ministries of renewable energy and skill development and entrepreneurship have collaboratively devised a "skilling plan" for the 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana', a government rooftop solar project aimed at enabling households to generate 300 units of electricity through grid-connected solar panels.
Launched in February this year, the scheme provides subsidies of up to Rs 78,000 to individuals interested in installing solar power-generating units.
"The number of individuals to be trained could be increased as per requirement," one source stated.
In addition to trained workers, a significant challenge for the programme's implementation would be the need for a large number of vendors. The Ministry of Renewable Energy recently transitioned to a new portal and will soon commence the national vendor registration process.
The 'PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana', with an outlay of Rs 75,021 crore, is set to be implemented through power distribution companies and vendors, offering rationalised subsidies and collateral-free loans.
Within a month of its launch, registrations under the scheme exceeded 1 crore, with nearly 8 lakh applicants requesting for installations.