PM Surya Ghar in UP: vendor base from 60 to 6,000
UPSC has already asked about this. Read the story with these questions in mind.
At a session on PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana during the 18th Civil Services Day on 21 April 2026, UP’s rooftop solar work was presented. The State expanded its vendor base from 60 to 6,000. Lucknow leads the country with about 90,000 installations, followed by Varanasi with around 40,000. The scheme is on the CM’s Dashboard.
- Event
- 18th Civil Services Day, Vigyan Bhawan, 21 April 2026
- Scheme
- PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
- Vendors in UP
- from 60 to 6,000
- Lucknow
- about 90,000 installations, top in India
- Varanasi
- around 40,000 installations
- Monitoring
- Chief Minister’s Dashboard, daily
PM Surya Ghar in UP: what happened?
PM Surya Ghar puts solar panels on household roofs so that families make their own electricity. A scheme like this needs many local installers. UP’s story is about building that supply side, not just signing up homes.
- At a Civil Services Day session on PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, it was noted that Uttar Pradesh has expanded its rooftop solar vendor base from 60 to 6,000. [PIB]
How did UP scale up?
- Youth were trained through Surya Mitra and given easy loans through the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yojana to become micro-vendors.
- Daily monitoring through the CM’s Dashboard and healthy competition between districts.
- Coordination with solar companies and banks to clear supply chain bottlenecks.
- Work also reached rural and aspirational districts.
Why does it matter?
- Consumers become producers of electricity.
- It supports India’s net zero path.
What can Prelims ask on PM Surya Ghar in UP?
- PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana: rooftop solar for households.
- UP: vendor base 60 to 6,000; Lucknow about 90,000 installations (top city).
Read all of April 2026 in the monthly UP current affairs compilation →
How to use this in Mains
- Rooftop solar turns households from consumers into producers of electricity, and a wide vendor base is what lets installations scale in villages.
Quotable data pointAt a Civil Services Day session on PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, it was noted that Uttar Pradesh has expanded its rooftop solar vendor base from 60 to 6,000 [PIB].
PIB: UP's renewable energy transformation at the 18th Civil Services Day
Exam angle
GS-VI: energy in UP. Use Lucknow and Varanasi installation numbers and the vendor model.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Which city led India in PM Surya Ghar rooftop solar installations as presented at Civil Services Day 2026?
Answer (b) & explanation
PIB (Ministry of Rural Development), 21 April 2026.
Questions students ask about this
How many rooftop solar installations does Lucknow have under PM Surya Ghar?
About 90,000, the most of any city in India.
How did UP grow its vendor base?
From 60 to 6,000, with Surya Mitra training and loans under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yojana.
Where was this presented?
At the 18th Civil Services Day session at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Keep studying
Official source: PIB: UP's renewable energy transformation at the 18th Civil Services Day
facts from cited sources only; numbers machine-checked against source text; faculty review pending