MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
HRD Division
Subject: HRD Policy of the Ministry
A systematic manpower development effort in the Ministry was started in 1999-2000 for project planning, system design, product development, operation, maintenance and repair of deployed systems for the first time by way of introducing a scheme for renewable energy training and study tours with provision for organizing short duration training programmes of one to two weeks within and outside the country. A National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme was also instituted during 1999 – 2000. These schemes continue till 2007-08 in the same format. These schemes were reoriented to cater more manpower requirement in view of up gradation/reorientation of the programmes of the Ministry during the year 2008-09 with following provisions:
(a) Training of professionals working in the Ministry and its attached offices and autonomous bodies at specialized institutions in India and abroad;
(b) Training of professionals working in state Nodal Agency/Government/ Utilities on different aspects of technology, its development and project management;
(c) Training of manpower on social/economic, trade, legal trade, IPR, administration, managerial and environmental aspects;
(d) Training of the manpower working on various aspect of renewable energy with research & development institutions, NGOs, community based organizations, banking and financial institutions etc.
(e) i. Organization of training-cum-study tours;
ii. Development of training modules including pedagogy through expert(s)/expert institutions(s);
iii. Addressing long-term HRD needs: In order to gravitate students and professional in the field of renewable energy and also to prepare manpower through universities/technical institutions ready to work on various aspects of renewable energy, the following are also part of the scheme:
a) Enlarge coverage of renewable energy fellowship scheme by covering more universities/institutions and also R&D institutions, to conduct research on all aspects of renewable energy. This way the R&D programmes will not be limited only to a few technology institutions rather it will have larger spread across the country;
b) In order to address the curriculum needs of technical institutions to cover renewable energy, there is urgent need to develop model curricula for inclusion in the ITIs, diploma and degree course. The curricula and the course material so developed would be circulated to all such institutions through State Technical Education Boards and AICTE.
While the reoriented scheme has been fulfilling the short term requirement of manpower, for systematic and long term manpower requirement for renewable energy development in the country in the light of recent initiatives of the Government in the form of National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC) and National Solar Mission clubbed with Renewable Purchase Obligation(RPO) of Electricity Act 2003 and recently announced Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) mechanism, it was thought necessary that an institutional framework is developed in existing educational institutions to cater requirement of quality education and training in the field of renewable energy by these institutions. Therefore new provisions have been added to the HRD Scheme as follows:
i. To augment the existing national renewable energy fellowship scheme to incorporate providing fellowship to 400 students/researchers from existing 50.
The 400 fellowships will be distributed as follows:
| Course | Duration | Intake every year | Fellowship 1st Year | 2nd Year | 3rd Year (stabilized no. for subsequent years) |
| M.Tech | 2 year | 200 | 200 | 400 | 400 |
| M.Sc | 2 year | 100 | 100 | 200 | 200 |
| JRF | 2 year | 40 | 40 | 80 | 180* |
| SRF | 3 year | 40 | 40 | 80 | 120 |
| RA/PDF | 3 year | 20 | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| TOTAL | 400 | 400 | 800 | 960 | |
*This includes 100 integrated M.Sc students joining JRF.
While JRF/SRF/RA/PDF will be open for all Universities, Technical Institutions, National Laboratories having facilities for research in identified thrust areas of Ministry’s R&D Programme, the M.Tech. and Integrated M.Sc. will be implemented in empanelled educational institutions having M.Tech./Integrated M.Sc. courses in energy studies/renewable energy with specialization in any branch of renewable energy. A maximum of 20 such institutions with 15 seats per institution will be selected based on open advertisement methodology. For rest of the fellowships, the selection will be made through open advertisement and evaluation of the received applications by a committee of experts. TERI University, Delhi has been assigned the responsibility to coordinate the scheme on behalf of Ministry. TERI University therefore is doing the fund management and recordkeeping of the fellowship scheme in lieu of getting service charge from the Ministry.
List of candidates provided NREF
ii. To provide financial assistance to educational and research institutions to set-up infrastructural facilities such as laboratory, library and other teaching aids.
Educational Institutions will be provided one time financial assistance to upgrade existing laboratory facilities and library facility for undertaking renewable energy educational programme to the tune of Rs. 50,00,000/- (Rupees Fifty Lakhs only) per institution. A maximum of five institutions will be provided such grant every year. The selection of such institutions will be done either through open advertisement or selecting five accredited institutions for M.Tech/Integrated M.Sc. fellowships. In addition Advanced Training Institutes of Ministry of Labour will also be provided grant for upgrading trainers training facility for renewable energy in their institutions. Guidelines for providing Financial Support to the institutions have been finalised . Lucknow university was provided financial assistance during 2010-11.
iii. To institute Renewable Energy Chair to act as focal point for renewable energy education in the institution in at least one educational institution every year by providing one time grant. Such Chairs will be instituted in 15 educational institutions.
Such educational institutions which have been active in the field of renewable energy education can be considered for institution of RE Chair. While 12 Chairs will be dedicated to science and technology aspects of Renewable Energy, 3 Chairs will be dedicated to legal, environmental, management and economic aspects of Renewable Energy in institutions such as National Law Institutes, IIMs, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University etc. To facilitate sustainability of this concept, a onetime grant of Rs. 1.5 Crore is being provided to the selected institutions which may be kept in fixed deposits and the salary and research grant may be provided through interest of this fixed deposit. The respective institutions may also augment through funds from their routine grants. Guidelines for providing RE chairs to the institutions have been finalised. IIT Kharagpur and IIT Roorkee were awarded RE Chair during 2010-11.
iv. To initiate integrated M.Sc. & Ph.D programme in various fields of renewable energy by instituting scholarship schemes.
To encourage talented science students to take renewable energy as a subject in post graduate level followed by active research in renewable energy area (both basic as well as applied R&D), Ministry may institute scholarship schemes at post graduate level to the tune of Rs. 4000/- (Rupees Four Thousand only) per month to selected students during his PG studies followed by awarding him NREF for a period of maximum five years. 100 such fellowships every year may be granted in ten accredited institutions. A model Course Curricula has been prepared by the Ministry. Which may be utilised by the educational institutions.
v. Ministry will be empanelling the educational and other entities to undertake short term training courses on regular basis. While some of these short term training courses will be supported by the Ministry as per the provisions of the scheme, institutions will be encouraged to undertake self financing courses on various aspects of renewable energy.
List of persons trained during 2010-11 under various short term training programmes.
vi. In addition, Ministry had taken up the issue of incorporation of Solar Lighting, Solar Thermal and Small Hydro Power in the regular syllabus of ITI students of certain trades such as electrician, fitters, turners, welders, plumbers etc. The course material was prepared and passed on to Directorate General of Employment and Training and it has been incorporated in the syllabus of trades of ITIs so that about 16-60 hours will be devoted on Renewable Energy skill development during regular two-year ITI course. DGET is also planning to start special programme of skill development under their Craftsman Training Programme (CTS) and Modular Employment Skill Development Programme (MES), wherein they provide special training for 60-960 hours. Ministry will be provided the technical input as well as assessor for these courses.
vii. In addition to these initiatives, Ministry has launched a special fellowship scheme entitled “National Solar Science Fellows Programme”, under which 10 eminent scientists will be awarded fellowship of Rs. 12 lakh per annum, contingent grant of Rs. 5 lakh per annum and Research grant of Rs. 15 lakh per annum.
