Center notifies guidelines under 'PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana'

The Centre has notified the guidelines for the implementation of 'PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' under which 40 lakh off-grid solar photovoltaic systems will be installed in the rural areas.

The Centre on Monday notified the guidelines under the 'PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana', a scheme that aims to provide free electricity to every household in the country by 2025. The scheme will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase covering 100,000 households in each state and Union Territory. The second phase will cover the remaining households.

The guidelines state that the scheme will be available to all households, regardless of their income or consumption level. However, households that already have a solar power system installed will not be eligible for the scheme.

The guidelines also specify the technical requirements for the solar power systems that will be installed under the scheme. The systems must be grid-connected and have a capacity of at least 1 kilowatt-peak (kWp). The systems must also be installed by a certified solar installer.

The Centre will provide a subsidy of up to 40% of the cost of the solar power system to households that participate in the scheme. The remaining cost of the system will be borne by the household.

Households that participate in the scheme will be required to enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the electricity distribution company (DISCOM) in their area. The PPA will specify the terms and conditions for the sale of electricity generated by the solar power system.

The Centre expects that the scheme will lead to a significant increase in the adoption of solar energy in the country. The scheme is also expected to help reduce the electricity bills of households and contribute to the achievement of the government's target of generating 40% of electricity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.

In other news, the customs department has issued a new advisory for international travellers who are facing issues with making payments at the airport. The advisory states that travellers who are unable to make payments due to technical glitches or other issues can approach the customs help desk at the airport. The help desk will assist travellers in making the necessary payments.

The advisory also states that travellers who are unable to make payments due to insufficient funds in their account will be allowed to proceed after submitting a self-declaration form. The form will state that the traveller will make the necessary payments within 15 days.

The customs department has taken this step in response to complaints from international travellers who have been facing difficulties in making payments at the airport. The department hopes that the new advisory will help travellers in resolving any payment-related issues quickly and easily.

Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) is reportedly reassessing its antitrust probes into Apple, Google and Meta, Financial Times has said. The probes, which began several years ago, have focused on the companies' alleged abuse of their dominant positions in the digital markets.

The EU has already slapped hefty fines on Google for antitrust violations and has ordered Apple to change its App Store practices. However, the probes into the companies' broader conduct are still ongoing.

According to the Financial Times report, the EU is now considering whether to narrow the scope of the probes or to conclude them without any further action. The report adds that the probes have been hampered by the complexity of the digital markets and the difficulty in gathering evidence against the companies.

The EU's antitrust probes into Apple, Google and Meta have been closely watched by regulators and companies around the world. The outcome of the probes could have a significant impact on the future regulation of the digital markets.