The Uttar Pradesh government intends to train 30,000 individuals as "surya mitras" to meet its objective of installing solar panels on the rooftops of every house in the state. This initiative follows the introduction of the PM Surya Ghar Yojana in February of the previous year, which targets the installation of 10 million crore solar rooftops nationwide. Under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, the Uttar Pradesh government has already installed over 2.5 million solar panels within the state.
To reach the goal of equipping every home in Uttar Pradesh with solar panels, a significant demand for skilled workers in the solar energy sector will arise, a senior official from the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA).
The official also mentioned that the state agency has established a goal to train 30,000 "surya mitras" at district centers and Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). He noted that the National Solar Energy Mission has devised a plan to develop this skilled workforce.
According to the official, more than 3,000 young individuals in Uttar Pradesh have already completed training courses related to solar projects. This training effort is part of a broader strategy to quickly realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of having solar panels in every household within the state.
The three-month "surya mitra" program consists of 600 hours of extensive training, which includes classroom instruction, practical laboratory work, exposure to solar photovoltaic technology plants, on-the-job training, as well as soft skill and entrepreneurship development.