A systematic manpower development effort in the Ministry was started in 1999-2000 for project planning, system design, product development, operation, maintenance and repair of deployed systems for the first time by way of introducing a scheme for renewable energy training and study tours with provision for organizing short duration training programmes of one to two weeks within and outside the country. A National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme was also instituted during 1999 – 2000. These schemes will be continued till 2019-20 in the same format. These schemes were reoriented to cater more manpower requirement in view of up gradation/reorientation of the programmes of the Ministry during the year 2017-18 with following provisions:

(a) Training of professionals working in the Ministry and its attached offices and autonomous bodies at specialized institutions in India and abroad;

(b) Training of professionals working in state Nodal Agency/Government/ Utilities on different aspects of technology, its development and project management;

(c) Training of manpower on social/economic, trade, legal trade, IPR, administration, managerial and environmental aspects;

(d) Training of the manpower working on various aspect of renewable energy with research & development institutions, NGOs, community based organizations, banking and financial institutions etc.

(e)  i. Organization of training-cum-study tours;

ii.  Development of training modules including pedagogy through expert(s)/expert institutions(s);

iii. Addressing long-term HRD needs: In order to gravitate students and professionals in the field of renewable energy and also to prepare manpower through universities/technical institutions ready to work on various aspects of renewable energy, the following are also part of the scheme:

a) Enlarge coverage of renewable energy fellowship scheme by covering more universities/institutions and also R&D institutions, to conduct research on all aspects of renewable energy. This way the R&D programmes will not be limited only to a few technology institutions rather it will have larger spread across the country;

b) In order to address the curriculum needs of technical institutions to cover renewable energy, there is urgent need to develop model curricula for inclusion in the ITIs, diploma and degree course. The curricula and the course material so developed would be circulated to all such institutions through State Technical Education Boards and AICTE.

While the reoriented scheme has been fulfilling the short term requirement of manpower, for systematic and long term manpower requirement for renewable energy developmentin the country [1] in the light of initiatives of the Government in the form of National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) and National Solar Mission clubbed with Renewable Purchase Obligation(RPO) of Electricity Act 2003, Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism and the recently announced 175 GW Renewable Energy Power Generation, it was thought necessary that an institutional framework is developed in existing educational institutions to cater requirement of quality education and training in the field of renewable energy by these institutions.  Therefore new provisions have been added to the HRD Scheme(Addendum/Amendment of the HRD Scheme. Revision of Fellowship of JRF/SRF/RA dated (7-6-2019), Revision of Fellowship of M. Tech / M.E. students, Revision of Fellowship of JRF and SRF Scholarsas follows:

i. To augment the existing national renewable energy fellowship scheme to incorporate providing fellowship to 400 students/researchers.

The 400 fellowships will be distributed as follows:

Course	Duration	Intake every year	Fellowship 1stYear	2nd Year	3rd Year (stabilized no. for subsequent years)
M.Tech	2 year	200	200	400	400
M.Sc	2 year	100	100	200	200
JRF	2 year	40	40	80	280*
SRF	3 year	40	40	80	120
RA/PDF	3 year	20	20	40	60
TOTAL		400	400	800	1060

• *This includes 200 integrated M.Sc students joining JRF.

 While JRF/SRF/RA/PDF will be open for all Universities, Technical Institutions, National Laboratories having facilities for research in identified thrust areas of Ministry’s R&D Programme, the M.Tech. and Integrated M.Sc. will be implemented in empanelled educational institutions having M.Tech./Integrated M.Sc. courses in energy studies/renewable energy with specialization in any branch of renewable energy. A maximum of 20 such institutions with 15 seats per institution will be selected based on open advertisement methodology. For rest of the fellowships, the selection will be made through open advertisement and evaluation of the received applications by a committee of experts.

List of candidates provided NREF 

Publications by the National Renewable Energy Fellows (NREFs)

To provide financial assistance to educational and research institutions to set-up infrastructural facilities such as laboratory and other teaching aids.

Educational Institutions will be provided one time financial assistance to upgrade existing laboratory facilities facility for undertaking renewable energy educational programme to the tune of Rs. 50,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty Lakhs only) per institution. A maximum of five institutions will be provided such grant every year. The selection of such institutions will be done either through open advertisement or selecting five accredited institutions for M.Tech/Integrated M.Sc. fellowships. In addition Advanced Training Institutes of Ministry of Labour will also be provided grant for upgrading trainers training facility for renewable energy in their institutions. Guidelines for providing Financial Support to the institutions are placed. 

iv. To initiate integrated M.Sc. & Ph.D programme in various fields of renewable energy by instituting scholarship schemes.

To encourage talented science students to take renewable energy as a subject in post graduate level followed by active research in renewable energy area (both basic as well as applied R&D), Ministry may institute scholarship schemes at post graduate level to the tune of Rs. 4000/- (Rupees Four Thousand only) per month to selected students during his PG studies followed by awarding him NREF for a period of maximum five years. 100 such fellowships every year may be granted in ten accredited institutions. A model course curricula has been prepared by the Ministry. Which may be utilised by the educational institutions.

v. Ministry will be empanelling the educational and other entities to undertake short term training courses on regular basis. While some of these short term training courses will be supported by the Ministry as per the provisions of the scheme, institutions will be encouraged to undertake self financing courses on various aspects of renewable energy.

Suryamitra Programme

 

To create skilled manpower in the field of solar energy particularly in view of huge demand of trained persons to install, operate & maintain the SPV system under the National Solar Mission, Ministry launched suryamitra Skill Development Programme in 2015 and assigned the task of coordination of the trainings to National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) for creating skilled manpower for employment in Solar Power Projects with a target to develop 50,000 Suryamitras by 2019-2020 for the country. The programme follows the M/o Skill Development & Entrepreneurship norms. So far 31,092  no.of Suryamitras have been trained upto 31^st March , 2019.

 

The Suryamitra Skill Development Programme is designed with the objective to develop skilled and employable workforce (Suryamitras) catering to the needs of Solar PV industries. The duration of the Suryamitra Skill Development Programme is three months consisting of 600 hours including classroom training, lab practical, SPV plant exposure, On The Job Training (OJT), soft skills and entrepreneurship skills. Min. 10th Pass + ITI in Electrician/ Wireman/ Electronics Mechanic/Fitter/Sheet Metal. Each batch contains around 30 seats. At the end of the Suryamitra programme, the host institute facilitate the trainees for placement.

SuryamitraTraining Centres FY  2019-20

 

List of Participants

•  Foryear 2015-16

•  Foryear 2016-17
•  Foryear 2017-18
•  Foryear 2018-19

·        List of Participants trained By Barefoot college, Rajasthan

• For year 2015-16
• For year 2016-17
• For year 2017-18
• For year 2018-19

  

·         List of persons trained during 2015-16 & 2016-17( By Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Rural Energy and Development, Bengaluru, Karnataka)

·         List of persons trainedduring 2014-15 (By The Gandhigram Rural Institute Deemed University, Gandhigram, Tamilnadu))

·         List of persons trainedduring 2014-15 ( By Larsen & Toubro Limited - Construction)

·         List of persons trainedduring 2012-14 ( By KPCL, Bangalore)

·         List of persons trainedduring 2013-14 ( By NIESBUD)

·         List of persons trainedduring 2014 ( By Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)

·         List of persons trainedduring 2014-15 under various shortterm training programmes.

·         List of persons trainedduring 2012-13 under various shortterm training programmes.

·         List of persons trainedduring 2010-12 under various shortterm training programmes.   

  

In addition, Ministry had taken up the issue of incorporation of Solar Lighting, Solar Thermal and Small Hydro Power in the regular syllabus of ITI students of certain trades such as electrician, fitters, turners, welders, plumbers etc. The course material was prepared and passed on to Directorate General of Employment and Training and it has been incorporated in the syllabus of trades of ITIs so that about 16-60 hours will be devoted on Renewable Energy skill development during regular two-year ITI course. DGET is also planning to start special programme of skill development under their Craftsman Training Programme (CTS) and Modular Employment Skill Development Programme (MES), wherein they provide special training for 60-960 hours. Ministry will be provided the technical input as well as assessor for these courses.

In addition to these initiatives, Ministry has launched a special fellowship scheme entitled National Renewable Solar Science Fellows Programme   in 12^th plan period for providing financial support to scientists working in the  solar energy area and for the period it was extended to all areas of Renewable Energy under the name of “National Renewable Energy Science Fellows Programme [21]”, under which 10 eminent scientists will be awarded fellowship of Rs. 12 lakh per annum, contingent grant of Rs. 5 lakh per annum and Research grant of Rs. 15 lakh per annum.