Gandhinagar, June 4 (IANS) Gujarat received five national awards under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana after emerging as the best-performing Category B state during the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) “Month of Solar – May 2026” campaign, underscoring the state’s continued lead in rooftop solar adoption.

The awards were presented by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi at a national ceremony held at Atal Akshay Urja Bhavan in New Delhi to mark the completion of two years of the scheme.

Shalini Agrawal, IAS, Managing Director of Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL), accepted the awards on behalf of the state government.

Gujarat received the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award for outstanding implementation and overall performance.

The state also secured first place nationally among Category B states in four performance-based categories: the highest number of consumer applications received on the National Portal, the highest number of rooftop solar installations commissioned, the highest number of inspections completed by distribution companies (DISCOMs), and the highest number of vendor registrations.

The recognition was based on Gujarat’s performance during the MNRE-led “Month of Solar – May 2026” campaign, which ran from May 1 to May 31.

During the month, the state recorded 3,06,230 consumer applications for rooftop solar systems through the National Portal. A total of 35,311 rooftop solar installations were commissioned, while DISCOMs completed 42,554 inspections.

The campaign also saw the registration of 210 new vendors in the state.

According to the official figures, Gujarat’s performance in these areas placed it first among all Category B states in each of the four operational categories assessed by the ministry.

The state has also reported substantial cumulative progress since the launch of the PM Surya Ghar scheme.

Gujarat has registered more than 10.66 lakh consumer applications on the National Portal and completed over 6.81 lakh rooftop solar installations under the programme.

Speaking after receiving the awards, Shalini Agrawal said: “Inspired by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, as well as the leadership of Energy Minister Rushikesh Patel, Minister of State for Energy, Kaushik Vekariya, and the Chief Secretary, Gujarat has achieved remarkable success in the adoption of rooftop solar energy.”

She added: “These awards belong to every citizen who has embraced solar power.”

The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the central government’s flagship programme aimed at expanding rooftop solar adoption among households, reducing electricity costs for consumers, and increasing the share of renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix.

Gujarat has remained one of the leading states in implementing rooftop solar projects and continues to account for a significant share of installations under the national scheme.

–IANS

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