The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has notified that beneficiaries seeking financial assistance under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana must undergo Aadhaar authentication or provide proof of possession of an Aadhaar number to receive benefits.

Applicants who do not yet have an Aadhaar number must apply for enrolment.

The notification directs the implementing agency to ensure enrolment of beneficiaries who are not yet enrolled in Aadhaar or to facilitate the updating of Aadhaar details through measures such as coordinating with registrars and setting up enrolment centres at convenient locations.

Until an Aadhaar number is assigned, beneficiaries aged 18 years or above may establish their identity using an Aadhaar enrolment acknowledgement containing the enrolment identification number along with a valid photo identification document.

The notification lists several acceptable documents, including an elector’s photo identity card, ration card, passport, driving licence, government-issued identity cards, matriculation or higher secondary certificates issued by recognized boards, and disability certificates or UDID cards issued under the rights of persons with disabilities framework.

A designated officer of the ministry will verify the enrolment identification number on the UIDAI myAadhaar portal to confirm that the enrolment request remains valid and has not been rejected. The officer may also verify other submitted documents and seek assistance from government entities or authorities that maintain the relevant records.

The notification sets out alternative procedures if Aadhaar authentication fails. If biometric authentication through fingerprints, iris scans, or facial recognition fails, another biometric mode or one-time password authentication may be used where feasible.

When biometric or OTP-based authentication cannot be completed, authorities may verify the authenticity of the Aadhaar number through offline verification of the UIDAI digital signature on the Aadhaar secure QR code or the Aadhaar paperless offline electronic know your customer document.

To ensure that genuine adult beneficiaries are not deprived of benefits due to authentication issues, the ministry will follow the exception handling mechanism specified in the Direct Benefit Transfer Mission’s Office Memorandum dated December 19, 2017.

The notification states that the ministry will also take steps to widely publicise the Aadhaar requirement for the program so that beneficiaries are aware of the identification requirements.

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi recently stated that residential rooftop solar installations under PM Surya Ghar have reached 3 million. This milestone marks early progress toward the program’s target of deploying rooftop solar systems across 10 million households nationwide by 2027.

Announced in January 2024, the program carries a total financial outlay of ₹750 billion (~$8.14 billion) to support rooftop solar installations, enabling affordability for eligible consumers and scaling up domestic decentralized renewable energy infrastructure.