The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has officially released the scheme guidelines for the implementation of the ‘Model Solar Village’ component under the recently launched PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The guidelines, notified on 9th August 2024, outline the strategic steps to promote solar energy adoption across India, aiming to make village communities self-reliant in meeting their energy needs.
Under this ambitious scheme, the government has earmarked ₹800 crore to establish one Model Solar Village in each district across the country. Each selected village will receive ₹1 crore in central financial assistance, with the goal of transitioning to a fully solar-powered community. This initiative is expected to create a ripple effect, inspiring other villages to follow suit.
To qualify as a ‘Model Solar Village,’ a village must be a revenue village with a population exceeding 5,000. However, for special category states, the population requirement is reduced to 2,000. Villages will be selected through a competitive process, where their renewable energy (RE) capacity will be evaluated six months after being declared a potential candidate by the District Level Committee (DLC).
The village with the highest RE capacity in each district will be awarded the ₹1 crore grant, propelling them towards becoming a solar energy model for others to emulate. The implementation of this scheme will be managed by the State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency, under the close supervision of the DLC.
The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, which received approval from the Government of India on 29th February 2024, has a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore. It aims to significantly increase the share of solar rooftop capacity across the country, empowering residential households to generate their own electricity. The scheme is set to be implemented until FY 2026-27.
The guidelines for the ‘Model Solar Village’ component are available for public access and provide a detailed roadmap for the successful implementation of this groundbreaking initiative.
