Manjeet Pawar
Policy Update
Background
The Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) launched its operations in November 2023 as an integrated development project dedicated to serving Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) within India. The ₹24,000 crore budget of this scheme focuses on filling infrastructure gaps and essential service requirements in 75 PVTG settlement locations (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2023a).
The solar power initiative formed a core part of this major development project because it focused on supplying sustainable electricity to tribal areas located outside the conventional power grid network. The PM-JANMAN solar power scheme exists to achieve four primary goals, which include delivering dependable electricity to PVTG residences, along with biomass fuel reduction and generating economic opportunities via productive energy utilization and supporting India’s Paris Agreement climate initiatives.
The scheme targets 2.3 million beneficiaries located in 22,000 remote villages where grid-based electricity access has proven difficult to achieve (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2023b). The scheme takes an intentional approach to resolve severe energy deprivation among PVTGs since their household power penetration stands at less than 60% while the national rural consumption exceeds 95% (NITI Aayog, 2023). The initiative develops a sustainable tribal community development model through decentralized solar solutions that integrates livelihood programs as it maintains respect for traditional lifestyles together with ecological connections.
Functioning
The solar power component of PM-JANMAN operates through a multi-tier implementation framework involving central ministries, state tribal departments, district administrations, and grassroots organizations. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs serves as the nodal agency, while technical expertise comes from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
The scheme employs a three-pronged approach to solar energy deployment:
- Household-level solar systems: Distribution of solar home systems (50-200W) to individual PVTG households, primarily focusing on basic lighting, mobile charging, and small appliance usage.
- Community-level mini-grids: Installation of solar mini-grids (5-25kW) in selected villages to power community facilities such as schools, health centers, tribal development centers, and water pumping systems.
- Livelihood-linked solar applications: Deployment of specialized solar equipment for income-generating activities such as solar dryers for forest produce processing, solar-powered cold storage facilities, and irrigation systems.
The implementation process begins with a participatory needs assessment conducted at the village level through Gram Sabhas, where community priorities and existing energy access status are documented. Based on these assessments, District Implementation Committees prepare action plans that are consolidated at the state level before receiving central approval (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2024).
The scheme incorporates innovative features such as:
- A 10% tribal community contribution (in cash or kind) to ensure ownership
- Formation of Village Energy Committees for operation and maintenance
- Skills training for local tribal youth as “Solar Technicians”
- Integration with Van Dhan Vikas Kendras for forest-based enterprise development
- Digital monitoring systems with geotagging of installations
A review of early implementation reports reveals several operational challenges. The dispersed nature of PVTG settlements, difficult terrain, and limited institutional capacity at block and district levels have slowed the scheme’s rollout in several states. Additionally, the coordination between multiple departments (tribal welfare, energy, rural development) has proven complex in practice (Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, 2024).
Performance
The solar power component of PM-JANMAN has shown mixed results in its initial implementation phase. As of July 2024, approximately 57,300 solar home systems have been installed against a target of 180,000 units, representing an achievement rate of 31.8% (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2024).
The state-wise distribution of solar installations reveals significant variation in implementation progress:
Figure 1: PM-JANMAN MIS Dashboard, Ministry of Tribal Affairs (2024)
The financial performance of the scheme shows a utilization rate of 41.3% of the allocated funds for the solar component during FY 2023-24, with improved disbursement in the first quarter of FY 2024-25.
Table 1: Ministry of Tribal Affairs Annual Report (2023-24) and Quarterly Progress Report (Q1 2024-25)
| Financial Year | Allocation (₹ in crore) | Expenditure (₹ in crore) | Utilization (%) |
| 2023-24 | 783.40 | 323.52 | 41.3% |
| 2024-25 (Q1) | 912.70 | 284.71 | 31.2% |
When analyzing performance by system type, household solar installations show better progress (31.8%) compared to community mini-grids (17.2%) and livelihood applications (22.5%). This disparity can be attributed to the greater complexity and higher capital requirements of community-scale installations.
A disaggregated analysis of beneficiary coverage indicates that 38% of targeted PVTG households have received at least one solar energy intervention, with the highest coverage observed in Odisha (51%), Madhya Pradesh (47%), and Jharkhand (43%), while states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh lag at 26% and 23% respectively (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2024).
Figure 2: Ministry of Tribal Affairs Annual Report (2023-24)
The budget utilization across different components reveals that:
- 58% of the expenditure has gone toward equipment procurement
- 21% toward installation and commissioning
- 12% toward capacity building and training
- 9% toward administrative and monitoring activities
The Economic Survey 2023-24 noted that the solar component of PM-JANMAN has shown “promising early results in improving basic energy access” but emphasized the need for “accelerated implementation and stronger convergence with livelihood programs” to achieve the intended developmental outcomes (Ministry of Finance, 2024).
Impact
The solar power component of PM-JANMAN has demonstrated multidimensional impacts on PVTG communities, though the scale and sustainability of these impacts vary significantly across regions.
Energy Access Transformation
Pilot site field evaluations demonstrate that basic energy services have made significant improvements. The sample survey of 126 beneficiary households across six states established that solar installation improved household lighting duration from 2.3 hours per day to 5.7 hours per day (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2024). The extended lighting availability triggered a 1.2-hour daily increase in the study times among children.
Health and Environmental Benefits
The adoption of solar illumination for lamp use instead of kerosene lighting has led to decreased indoor air contamination in tribal family environments. The Primary Health Center records in intervention areas show a 22% decrease in respiratory complaints than records from non-intervention areas (National Health Mission, 2024). Annual carbon dioxide emissions would remain at 23,000 tons throughout the program areas because of decreased kerosene use (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, 2024).
Economic Empowerment
The livelihood linkages of the solar component show promising results in pilot locations. Tufted tribes in Mandla district (Madhya Pradesh) benefit from solar dryers at Van Dhan Kendras because the equipment enables them to process forest produce which generates annual earnings of ₹12,000-18,000 per household (TRIFED, 2024). Women in Koraput (Odisha) benefit from solar-powered grinding units that eliminate their daily work burdens and establish small business opportunities.
Figure 3 : Side-by-side bar chart comparing before/after metrics (lighting hours, study time, health outcomes, fuel use).
Capacity Building and Local Governance
The training initiative to transform 2,800 tribal youth into “Solar Technicians” established a dedicated maintenance support system while creating local job opportunities. Village Energy Committees established by the government strengthen infrastructure management through community involvement since 64% of these committees conduct regular meetings and carry out maintenance work (Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2024).
Developmental Convergence
The solar interventions enabled multiple locations to achieve wider developmental outcomes. The Palghar district of Maharashtra uses solar digital learning centers to serve tribal schools while the Khunti district of Jharkhand operates nutritional gardens for self-help group women through solar-powered water systems (National Institution for Transforming India, 2024). Assessments conducted outside of the government show that the influence of these schemes differs. The Indian Institute of Public Administration (2024) showed that 87% of beneficiaries were pleased with their basic lighting services though only 32% used their systems for productive purposes or income generation as the scheme originally planned. The economic possibilities of solar power as a resource have not yet been fully achieved.
Emerging Issues
Based on the analysis of performance and impact data, several critical issues have emerged in the implementation of the solar power component under PM-JANMAN:
Figure 4: key implementation issues by severity and frequency, with bubble sizes for priority.
Technical and Design Challenges:
- Capacity constraints: Many installed systems (particularly household units) provide insufficient power for productive use applications.
- Solution: Review system sizing guidelines to align with actual energy needs and livelihood aspirations of tribal communities.
- Component quality concerns: Field reports indicate premature battery failures and panel degradation in approximately 18% of installations.
- Solution: Strengthen quality assurance protocols and implement extended warranty provisions with manufacturer accountability.
Implementation Bottlenecks:
- Last-mile logistics: Transportation and installation in remote habitations have been costlier than estimated, leading to implementation delays.
- Solution: Develop hub-and-spoke models for equipment distribution and engage local tribal youth in the supply chain.
- Coordination gaps: Inter-departmental coordination between tribal welfare and energy departments remains inadequate.
- Solution: Establish formal coordination mechanisms at block and district levels with clear responsibility matrices.
Operational Sustainability:
- Maintenance challenges: After-installation service support remains weak, with 42% of villages reporting unresolved technical issues.
- Solution: Strengthen the local technician network and introduce performance-based maintenance contracts.
- Financial sustainability: Current models lack clarity on replacement costs for batteries and components after warranty periods.
- Solution: Develop community-managed repair funds with matched contributions from program funds.
Inclusion and Equity:
- Intra-community disparities: Benefits tend to concentrate among relatively better-off households within PVTGs.
- Solution: Implement stronger targeting mechanisms with community validation of beneficiary lists.
- Gender dimensions: Women’s participation in Village Energy Committees remains low at 26%.
- Solution: Mandate minimum 50% representation of women in committees and implement special training programs.
Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Limited outcome tracking: Current monitoring focuses on installations rather than developmental outcomes.
- Solution: Develop a comprehensive outcome monitoring framework that captures energy use patterns and welfare impacts.
Way Forward
The solar power component of PM-JANMAN represents a significant step toward addressing energy poverty among India’s most marginalized tribal communities. While the scheme has demonstrated promising initial results, its full potential can be realized through strategic enhancements and policy recalibrations.
There is a need for a holistic approach that views solar energy as not merely an infrastructure provision but as a catalyst for comprehensive tribal development. To achieve success, the scheme must be integrated with initiatives related to forest rights, with adequate importance to traditional knowledge systems and cultural customs of PVTGs. The program needs to shift its main focus from access provisioning to creating sustainable livelihood opportunities through productive applications. Technology adaptation needs priority attention because it will produce solar solutions that are optimized for tribal situations through modular system design and rugged forest-capable construction and easily adaptable user interfaces for low-literacy populations. Tribal institutions should establish research and development partnerships with technical agencies to achieve this goal.
The implementation of institutional strengthening requires particular focus on enhancing District Implementation Committees’ abilities while developing tribal energy cells as part of state renewable energy development agencies. The involvement of tribal community organizations with traditional governance systems would lead to better design quality and improved implementation execution. This solar component of PM-JANMAN connects powerfully to India’s climate commitments as well as two Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 7 and SDG 10. Successful implementation of decentralized renewable energy models through this scheme will provide learning opportunities for comparable energy programs worldwide.
The PM-JANMAN solar scheme acts as an important instrument that will help tribal communities become active participants in sustainable development while preserving their cultural heritage alongside their ecological knowledge systems as India aims to reach its developed nation status by 2047.
References
About the Contributor: Manjeet Pawar is a Master’s student in Natural Resources and Governance at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Hyderabad, and a Policy Research Intern at IMPRI. Their work focuses on policy research, evidence-based policy formulation, and climate advocacy.
Acknowledgement: The author extends sincere gratitude to Dr Arjun Kumar and Aasthaba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance and support.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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