In a significant boost to renewable energy adoption, the Delhi Cabinet has approved an additional ₹30,000 subsidy for residential rooftop solar installations, taking total government support for homeowners to ₹1.08 lakh—the highest offered under any rooftop solar scheme in India.
This initiative aims to install solar systems in 2.3 lakh homes over the next three years at an estimated budget of ₹50 crore. The state subsidy, set at ₹10,000 per kilowatt, will supplement the ₹78,000 already available under the Centre’s PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The Delhi government estimates average monthly savings of ₹4,200 per household as a result of switching to solar energy. “This is a big step towards building a Green Delhi,” said Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, highlighting the dual goals of reducing pollution and enhancing energy sustainability. Power Minister Ashish Sood added that the state will work with financial institutions to provide zero upfront cost options to residents, easing access to solar panel systems that typically cost ₹90,000. In tandem with its renewable energy push, the Delhi Cabinet has also cleared the procurement of 250 water sprinklers equipped with anti-smog guns, 70 mechanical road sweeping machines, dump vehicles, and water tankers. These will be used primarily on Public Works Department-maintained roads as part of a broader strategy to control dust pollution, particularly during the winter months.
The environment department will fund the initiative under the Pollution Control and Emergency Measures scheme, ensuring timely deployment of the equipment before the expected seasonal spike in pollution levels. Additionally, the Cabinet has restored the original name of a key scholarship scheme for school students. The Chief Minister Scholarship for Meritorious Students will once again be known as the Lal Bahadur Shastri Scholarship for Meritorious Students (LBS), reinstating its pre-2020 title. The scheme offers an annual scholarship of ₹2,500 to government school students in Classes VII to XII who score 80 per cent or above in the previous academic year. “These decisions reflect our government’s commitment to sustainability, public health, and academic excellence,” said Chief Minister Gupta following the Cabinet meeting at the Delhi Secretariat.
The latest measures signal a broad-based approach to tackling Delhi’s environmental and social challenges through policy support, financial incentives, and infrastructural investment.
