Solar Spark: 3,422 Schools In Northeast Go Solar

India’s Northeastern region has installed solar power plant systems in 3,422 schools across the northeastern region, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik told Parliament.

Among the northeastern states, Assam accounted for the highest number of installations, with solar panels deployed in 2,319 schools, the minister said. It was followed by Meghalaya which stalled solar across 633 schools, and Nagaland installed it across 355 schools. Whereas Manipur installed solar across 51 schools, Sikkim installed it in 36 schools, Mizoram installed solar in 25 schools, and Arunachal Pradesh in 3 schools.

Electrification Scheme for Tribal and PVTG Areas

Naik said the government is implementing a scheme to electrify 100,000 un-electrified households in tribal and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) areas, as identified by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, through off-grid solar systems.

The scheme includes solar lighting systems for 1,500 Multi-Purpose Centres (MPCs) in PVTG areas under the PM JANMAN programme, as well as the solarisation of 2,000 public institutions through off-grid solar systems under the DA JGUA initiative. These systems will be provided only in areas where grid electricity is not techno-economically feasible.

The timeline for installing the 0.3 kW off-grid solar systems for 100,000 households is set between FY 2023–24 and FY 2025–26. The government has approved financial support of ₹500 crore ($60 million) for the implementation of this component.

In addition, ₹15 crore ($1.8 million) has been allocated for the provision of solar lighting in the 1,500 MPCs in PVTG areas under PM JANMAN, also to be completed by FY 2025–26. The solarisation of 2,000 public institutions is scheduled for implementation from FY 2024–25 to FY 2028–29, backed by financial support of ₹400 crore ($48 million), the minister said.