The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy notified the Scheme Guidelines for implementing the ‘Model Solar Village’ under the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana on 9th August 2024. This initiative aims to promote solar energy adoption and empower village communities across India.
Model Solar Village Initiative
- Objective: The primary goal is to establish one Model Solar Village per district throughout India to enhance the adoption of solar energy and enable village communities to become self-reliant in meeting their energy needs.
- Financial Outlay: A total financial outlay of ₹800 crore has been allocated for this component, with each selected Model Solar Village receiving ₹1 crore.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
- Eligibility: To qualify as a village under the competition mode, a village must:
- Be a revenue village.
- Have a population size above 5,000 or 2,000 for special category states.
- Selection Process: Villages are assessed on their overall distributed renewable energy (RE) capacity installed six months after the declaration of the potential candidate by the District Level Committee (DLC).
Incentives and Implementation
- Incentives: The winning village in each district, which achieves the highest RE capacity, will be awarded a central financial assistance grant of ₹1 crore.
- Implementation: The State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency will implement the scheme under the supervision of the District Level Committee (DLC). The selected villages will transition to solar-powered communities, serving as models for other villages across the country.
PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana
- Approval and Objective: The Government of India approved the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana on 29th February 2024. The scheme aims to increase the share of solar rooftop capacity and empower residential households to generate their own electricity.
- Financial Outlay: The scheme has an outlay of ₹75,021 crore and is to be implemented till FY 2026-27.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- What is the primary goal of the Model Solar Village initiative?
- a) To reduce the cost of electricity.
- b) To promote wind energy adoption.
- c) To create one Model Solar Village per district in India.
- d) To improve the infrastructure of rural villages.
- How much financial assistance is allocated per Model Solar Village?
- a) ₹50 lakh
- b) ₹2 crore
- c) ₹1 crore
- d) ₹5 crore
- What is the minimum population required for a village to qualify in special category states?
- a) 1,000
- b) 2,000
- c) 3,000
- d) 5,000
- Who will implement the scheme at the district level?
- a) Ministry of Finance
- b) District Level Committee (DLC)
- c) Central Government
- d) State/UT Renewable Energy Development Agency
- When was the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana approved by the Government of India?
- a) 29th January 2024
- b) 15th March 2024
- c) 29th February 2024
- d) 1st April 2024