Surya Mitras, an initiative to fulfill demand of entry-level technicians in solar energy sector is suffering in the State with private technical institutes not showing as much interest as required. A senior Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Authority (JREDA) said today that despite initiative was launched more than one year and a half at national level, only one institute was providing this training, that also with its very first batch.
“It is only two months ago that Basukala ITI Training centre was chosen to provide training course for Surya Mitras. The course has been designed to be of three months only. Discussions between Government and two other institutes are in advance stages, but we are not sure when the batches commence there,” said Arvind Kunar, Project Director at JREDA.
Surya Mitra is a brainchild of National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), an autonomous institute of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Government of India. As per NISE, this program has been designed with a prime objective to develop skilled workforce in the field of Solar Photo Voltaic Systems covering system designing, component procurement, installation & commissioning, operations & maintenance including technical support services with full practical and hands on training.
The candidates with 10th pass degree and ITI in Electrician/Wireman/Electronics, Diploma in Electrical/Electronic/Mechanical with minimum of 18 years of age are eligible to apply for the course. The NISE has clearly mentioned that anyone having higher degrees of qualification wouldn’t be allowed to get enrolled in the course. After trained, these technicians will remain available for solar energy companies in need on daily basis.
“The issue is that the institute providing training to Surya Mitras need to have accommodation and fooding facilities with them. Then, the course is completely funded by central Government, and students have to pay for nothing including fooding and lodging. So, only those institutes having accommodation facilities for at least 30 girls and 30 boys, because both are eligible with no upper limit in any batch of 30 at one time, will be preferred. This is also a major factor that institutes are not taking this course seriously,” said Kumar.
However, he also said that the proposal of an institute called Dunfirst to operate such training classes in Jamshedpur and Ranchi is under consideration and this institute is also likely to be allowed to run classes. “Actually Government is providing skill development training to these young professionals so that whenever there is a need in solar energy sector which is expanding multifold, the technicians could be provided at local level itself,” said Kumar.