SURYAMITRA SKILL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME IN UTTARAKHAND
Under the National Solar Mission, there is a need for the skill development in the field of Solar PV to cater to the huge demand of trained and skilled persons to install, operate and maintain the SPV system. The programme is aimed to enhance the skills of the field technicians and small entrepreneurs who are responsible for operation, maintenance and troubleshooting. The qualification of the participants is minimum ITI or Diploma in engineering particularly in the branch of mechanical, electrical, and electronics. Special emphases have been given to the participants having rural background and who are unemployed.
Training Structure
The training curriculum of Suryamitra Skill Development Programme is designed as per the NCVT curriculum for the training of 03 month (600 hours). In these 03 months, for first 02 month participants were given training through classroom lectures and hands-on training in the laboratories and for the last 01 month training was arrange in the Solar PV companies as an internship.
The major areas covered include basics of electricity, fundamentals of solar energy, solar photovoltaic power plants and systems, balance of system components, tools and equipments used for site survey including load assessment, system installation, and inspection. Also, the students were taken to the field visit of various Solar PV module manufacturing industries and Solar PV plants. In all aspects the structuring of programme is such that it provides the all-round development of skills of participants in the field of Solar PV installation, operation, and maintenance. Programme in Uttarakhand Uttarakhand is amongst the first few states who took up the Suryamitra Skill Development programme in the initial phases after its launch by National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) as a State Nodal Agency for MNRE took up the task of conducting the Suryamitra Skill Development
Programme in Uttarakhand.
Initially, two institutes namely Government Polytechnic, Dehradun and Ordnance Factory Institute of Learning, Dehradun were selected to conduct the programme. The selections of students were done on the first-cum-first-served basis and the applications were invited through the advertisement in English and Hindi newspapers of Uttarakhand. After receiving, the applications were scrutinized by the college authority as per the eligibility criteria given by the NISE. The first programme in Government Polytechnic Dehradun was started in September 2015 and got a huge attention amongst the youth and young entrepreneurs. Similarly, the second programme in Ordnance Factory Institute of Learning, Dehradun was started in the same month.
From the first two batches total of 60 nos. of students passed out and currently 70 per cent of students had started working in the solar
companies, such as Rays Power, Fidato Consultancy, Sankalp Energy, Recube, etc., in the salary package of Rs 9,000–15,000 per month and some others are working as self-entrepreneurs in their respective locations.
The Way Forward
MNRE has given the target of total 500 MW for the installation of solar PV in the state till 2021. To achieve this task huge numbers of skilled manpower is required to pace up the installation process. UREDA is looking up to this programme as a booster for Uttarakhand in terms of getting skilled manpower and empowering youth for self entrepreneurship in the field of Solar PV. Four more programmes in the FY 2016–17 have been scheduled in Govt. Polytechnic Lohaghat, Institute of Engineers Dehradun, Govt. Polytechnic Dehradun, and Ordnance Factory Institute of Learning, Dehradun. In the next few years this programme will be expanded to the grassroots level in the various district of Uttarakhand as UREDA has already planned to organize 08 new programmes in the different districts so as to strengthen the local youth with entrepreneurial skills and self-sustainability.
Courtesy: Shri A K Tyagi, Chief Project Officer, Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA)