Recent Current Affairs related to Solar

The Union Cabinet has approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) scheme to strengthen the Indian Intra-State Transmission System (InSTS). The scheme aims to evacuate up to 135 Gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy across the country.

It also provides for the deployment of 50 Gigawatt-hour (GWh) of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) at the Renewable Energy generator end, with a target completion by FY33. The total project outlay is ₹1.8 lakh crore (comprising ₹1.3 lakh crore for InSTS development and ₹50,000 crore for BESS deployment), involving a Central Financial Support of ₹54,082 crore.

Premier Energies has commissioned a 7 Gigawatt (GW) N-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) G12R solar cell manufacturing facility in Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh.

With this, the total solar cell manufacturing capacity of the company has increased from 3.6 GW to 10.6 GW, making it the largest solar cell manufacturing capacity in India.

India has unveiled “JAL-YAAN”, the first solar-integrated and self-powered mobile water purification van of the country, in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The vehicle was jointly developed by the CSIR-Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) and Rite Water Solutions.

The Andhra Pradesh government and Australia have signed 4 MoUs in Amaravati to boost cooperation in sectors like clean energy, advanced manufacturing, inclusive education, student mental health, and skill development.

Under this partnership, the IIT Tirupati and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, have agreed to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Solar Manufacturing at the IIT Tirupati campus.

Uttar Pradesh has become the second-largest state in India for domestic rooftop solar installations under the 'PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' with 6.75 lakh installations, surpassing Maharashtra.

Gujarat leads the ranking with 7.4 lakh installations, while Maharashtra ranks third with 6.74 lakh installations.

The World Bank has approved a financing package of $890 million for India's rooftop solar programme.

This financing is intended to support the implementation of the “PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana”, which aims to install rooftop solar systems in 10 million rural and urban households across India. Additionally, the World Bank will facilitate the mobilization of $4.2 billion in private financing through commercial loans to support households in installing these systems.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 MW Solar Power Project at the Sitapur Ex-Cantonment area in Uttar Pradesh. This is the first large-scale green energy installation developed on vacant defence land.

The project will feature an integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to store surplus energy and ensure a stable power supply. NTPC Ltd will implement the project through a competitive bidding process.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the indigenously developed Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) system and the new Research Entrepreneurship for Translation, Innovation and NAvigation (RETINA) incubation centre at the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS) campus in Kolkata.

The inauguration coincided with the 150th-anniversary celebrations of IACS, which is recognized as Asia’s oldest research institution and the birthplace of the Raman Effect. It is to be noted that the PECVD system is India’s first completely indigenous technology developed for the fabrication of amorphous silicon solar cells.

International Day of Light:

Day – May 16

Theme 2026 – “Light for a Sustainable Future”

Observed since – 2018

Commemorating – The anniversary of Theodore Maiman’s first successful laser operation in 1960

Union Minister S Jaishankar visited Jamaica, marking the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) to the country. During the visit, he held delegation-level talks with Andrew Michael Holness, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. India and Jamaica signed 3 MoUs to enhance cooperation in health, broadcasting, and the solarisation of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Building.