Lok Sabha Question No. 241 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Role of Educational Institutions in Energy Sector
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Ms. S Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 241 ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Role of Educational Institutions in Energy Sector

241. Ms. S Jothimani:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details of steps taken by the Government to address the shortage of skilled professionals in  India's  renewable  energy  sector,  particularly  in  solar  manufacturing  and  the  role  of educational institutions in this regard;

(b) whether the Ministry of Education collaborates with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to develop specialized curricula or training programs to bridge the skills gap in the clean energy industry and if so, the details thereof; and

(c)  the  number  of  educational  institutions  that  have  introduced  renewable  energy-focused courses during the last three years and the measures taken to align these programs with industry requirements?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (c):  The Government of India has taken several steps to address the shortage of skilled professionals in the renewable energy sector, including solar manufacturing. The Ministry of New  and  Renewable  Energy  is  implementing  capacity  building  and  skill  development programmes  to  create  a  skilled  workforce  for  the  design,  installation,  operation  and maintenance  of  renewable  energy  projects  including  solar,  wind,  bio-energy  and  small hydropower. Skill development programmes such as Suryamitra, Varunmitra, Vayumitra and Jal-Urjamitra are being implemented under the Human Resource Development Programme through  MNRE's  autonomous  institutions  namely  the  National  Institute  of  Solar  Energy, Gurugram, the National Institute of Wind Energy, Chennai and the National Institute of BioEnergy,  Kapurthala.  The  skilling  programme  for  hydropower  is  administered  through  the Hydro and Renewable Energy Department, IIT Roorkee. These programmes are implemented through training centres located across the country, wherein ITIs, polytechnics, engineering colleges and universities empanelled by the implementing agencies act as training centres. To address the skill requirement in solar cell and module manufacturing, the National Institute of Solar  Energy  has  organised  a  two-and-a-half-month  specialised  training  programme  for students and industry professionals. Further, under the Prime Minister Surya Ghar Muft Bijli

Yojana, training is being provided to technicians, electricians, installers, engineers, supervisors, vendors  and  trainers  for  installation,  design,  operation  and  maintenance  of  rooftop  solar systems  across  the  country.  Skilled  manpower  for  the  green  hydrogen  sector  is  also  being created under the National Green Hydrogen Mission through schemes for skilling, up-skilling and  re-skilling  implemented  through  national  skill  training  institutes,  industrial  training institutes, the National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development, MNRE institutions, the Skill Council for Green Jobs and other sector skill councils.

To  address  the  shortage  of  skilled  professionals  in  the  renewable  energy  (RE)  sector, specifically  focusing  on  solar  manufacturing  and  installation,  the  All  India  Council  for Technical Education (AICTE) has also implemented several strategic initiatives which include curriculum alignment & new electives for minor degrees in Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE), Mandatory R&D and Climate Cells to establish Research and Development (R&D) Cells and Climate Cells to foster innovation and sustainable practices, such as solar energy, within campuses. In order to create awareness among Students, faculty and industry members, AICTE has developed AICTE Research Internship (ARI) Portal in partnership with Industry leaders which connects students directly with companies for internships in emerging fields, including renewable energy. Generation Green Initiative empowers students with green skills and enhance employability in the renewable sector.

Educational institutions under AICTE guidance are shifting from traditional teaching to acting as skill hubs through initiatives like Integration of Renewable Energy in STEM. Institutions are  integrating  solar  PV ,  wind  energy,  and  sustainability  topics  into  their  core  engineering curricula,  they  are  partnering  with  companies  for  on-the-job  training,  specifically  in  solar manufacturing to bridge the gap between classroom knowledge and industrial requirements. As per AICTE mandatory internship, every student has to go for internship   with options to work  in  government-initiated  solar  projects  or  the  industry.  Institutions  are  encouraged  to install rooftop solar plants through the scheme of MNRE, Govt. of India providing students with on-campus, real-world experience in solar PV systems.

Ministry  of  Education  collaborates  with  the  Ministry  of  New  and  Renewable  Energy  in developing specialised curricula and training programmes to bridge the skills gap in the clean energy sector. MNRE, in collaboration with the Hydro and Renewable Energy Department, IIT Roorkee has developed the Jal-Urjamitra programme for operation and maintenance of small hydropower plants. Qualification packs and model curricula for short-term training programmes have been developed by the Skill Council for Green Jobs in collaboration with MNRE and IIT Roorkee. In addition, a two-year Small Hydro Power Plant Technician course has been developed by the Directorate General of Training in association with IIT Roorkee and industry associations. These collaborative efforts ensure standardised training and availability of skilled manpower aligned with sectoral requirements.

Several educational institutions have introduced renewable energy-focused courses during the last three years. MNRE's autonomous institutions are running joint postgraduate and research programmes  in  collaboration  with  reputed  educational  institutions,  including  an  M.Tech programme in Renewable Energy launched in 2020 by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, in collaboration with Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of BioEnergy, Kapurthala, an MTech programme on Green Energy and Sustainable Development in collaboration with Aligarh Muslim University and an MTech by Research programme with Delhi Technological University. These institutions are also collaborating with IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi and IIT Roorkee for research in renewable energy. The Ministry supports centres of excellence at IIT Bombay for solar photovoltaic technologies and at IIT Roorkee for small hydropower and also provides research grants, laboratory upgradation support and fellowships to IITs, NITs and universities to align academic programmes with industry requirements.

The State-wise count of AICTE approved institutes running energy related courses is given in Annexure .

AICTE has introduced model curricula for minor degrees in Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE). The updated  curricula  for  technical  education  now  emphasize  "green  skills". These programs, alongside Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with organizations aim to train students in sustainability, green skill development.

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## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  to  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 241 ASNWERED ON 02.02.2026 ASKED BY HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT MS S JOTHIMANI REGARDING ROLL OF EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN ENERGY SECTOR

## State wise count of AICTE approved Institutes running Energy related courses

|                   | 2023-2024                    | 2023-2024             | 2024-2025                    | 2024-2025             | 2025-2026                    | 2025-2026             |
|-------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------|-----------------------|
| State             | No. of Approved Institutions | Total Approved Intake | No. of Approved Institutions | Total Approved Intake | No. of Approved Institutions | Total Approved Intake |
| Andhra Pradesh    | 4                            | 54                    | 4                            | 54                    | 5                            | 66                    |
| Assam             | 3                            | 69                    | 3                            | 69                    | 4                            | 117                   |
| Bihar             | 1                            | 30                    | 4                            | 126                   | 4                            | 126                   |
| Chandigarh        | 1                            | 12                    | 1                            | 12                    | 1                            | 12                    |
| Chhattisgarh      | 6                            | 142                   | 6                            | 142                   | 5                            | 130                   |
| Delhi             | 4                            | 108                   | 3                            | 78                    | 4                            | 108                   |
| Goa               | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    |
| Gujarat           | 7                            | 282                   | 7                            | 264                   | 7                            | 264                   |
| Haryana           | 3                            | 54                    | 3                            | 54                    | 3                            | 54                    |
| Himachal Pradesh  |                              |                       |                              |                       | 1                            | 18                    |
| Jammu and Kashmir | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    |
| Jharkhand         | 1                            | 31                    | 1                            | 31                    | 3                            | 121                   |
| Karnataka         | 17                           | 582                   | 16                           | 561                   | 16                           | 543                   |
| Kerala            | 12                           | 276                   | 10                           | 204                   | 11                           | 222                   |
| Madhya Pradesh    | 7                            | 150                   | 7                            | 150                   | 8                            | 168                   |
| Maharashtra       | 6                            | 111                   | 6                            | 99                    | 8                            | 130                   |
| Meghalaya         | 1                            | 30                    | 1                            | 30                    | 1                            | 30                    |
| Odisha            | 4                            | 75                    | 7                            | 102                   | 7                            | 102                   |
| Puducherry        | 2                            | 47                    | 2                            | 47                    | 2                            | 107                   |
| Rajasthan         | 8                            | 207                   | 8                            | 207                   | 10                           | 285                   |
| Tamil Nadu        | 20                           | 410                   | 19                           | 398                   | 25                           | 572                   |
| Telangana         | 4                            | 156                   | 5                            | 216                   | 5                            | 216                   |
| Tripura           | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    |
| Uttar             | 11                           | 291                   | 13                           | 471                   | 12                           | 441                   |
| Uttarakhand       | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    | 1                            | 18                    |
| West Bengal       | 7                            | 238                   | 8                            | 256                   | 8                            | 256                   |
| Grand Total       | 133                          | 3,427                 | 138                          | 3,643                 | 154                          | 4,160                 |