PM Surya Ghar · free solar for SC / ST?
The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy is the same for every caste category. Real extras for SC and ST families come from a few states: a free 2 kW plant the DISCOM owns in Andhra Pradesh, a ₹15,000 grant in West Bengal, and a near-free 1 kW plant for low-use homes in Maharashtra. Treat private “free solar for SC/ST” ads elsewhere as a red flag.
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Fast triage: in Andhra Pradesh on up to 200 units a month? Do not pay anyone: the DISCOM installs up to 2 kW free (how). In West Bengal, add ₹15,000 to the state top-up (details). On MSEDCL in Maharashtra and under 100 units, SMART adds ₹15,000 to a 1 kW plant (details). Everywhere else, an SC/ST home gets the same central subsidy as any other, up to ₹78,000, so your bill decides whether solar pays. Check your bill first.
| State | Extra for SC / ST | Who qualifies | Who owns the plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Free plant up to 2 kW (central ₹60,000 + state pays the rest) and ₹1 per sq ft a month roof rent | SC/ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month | The DISCOM |
| West Bengal | ₹15,000 on top of the state top-up (₹5,000 / ₹10,000 / ₹15,000 for 1 / 2 / 3 kW) | SC and ST households applying under PM Surya Ghar | You |
| Maharashtra | ₹15,000 (30% of a ₹50,000 1 kW plant) under the SMART scheme | SC/ST homes on MSEDCL using under 100 units a month | You |
| Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and other top-up states | No SC/ST-specific amount; the state top-up is the same for every category | Varies by state (state top-ups) | You |
| All other states | None: central subsidy only (₹30,000 / ₹60,000 / ₹78,000) | Any residential connection | You |
Hill, North-East and other notified special-category states and UTs use a higher central table for everyone (often quoted at about ₹33,000 / ₹66,000 / ₹85,800 for 1 / 2 / 3 kW). That is a regional rule, not a category one: subsidy amount guide.
SC and ST homes using up to 200 units a month already get that power free from the state. Under the Energy Department's order (G.O. RT No. 16), the DISCOMs put a rooftop plant of up to 2 kW on these homes under MNRE's utility-owned model. The family pays nothing, the government pays ₹1 per square foot a month in roof rent, and homes without a usable roof are served through virtual net metering. There is no PM Surya Ghar portal application: the DISCOM surveys eligible homes and takes consent. By 4 August 2026, 2,27,549 of a targeted 5,99,105 SC/ST systems were installed.
What to do: if nobody has surveyed your house, go to your DISCOM section office (AE) with your service connection number. Refuse any private vendor who asks for money for "free government solar". Full guide, including the BC ₹20,000 top-up: AP SC/ST and BC solar scheme.
West Bengal launched PM Surya Ghar in the state on 22 July 2026, after years of routing WBSEDCL homes to its own Aloshree scheme. The state adds ₹5,000 (1 kW), ₹10,000 (2 kW) or ₹15,000 (3 kW) for everyone, and the Chief Minister announced a further ₹15,000 for SC and ST families at the launch.
| System | Central | State top-up | SC/ST extra | Total for an SC/ST home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 kW | ₹30,000 | ₹5,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹50,000 |
| 2 kW | ₹60,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹85,000 |
| 3 kW | ₹78,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹15,000 | ₹1,08,000 |
All amounts are paid after commissioning, so you or your loan cover the full price first. Kolkata homes on CESC should confirm the state amounts apply to their licensee: CESC vs WBSEDCL.
The Swayampurna Maharashtra Residential Rooftop (SMART) Solar scheme (Government Resolution of 6 October 2025) adds a state share for MSEDCL domestic consumers using under 100 units a month. On a 1 kW plant priced at ₹50,000, the centre pays ₹30,000 and the state adds 35% for BPL homes, 30% (₹15,000) for SC and ST homes, and 20% for other low-use homes. An SC/ST family pays about ₹5,000. Above 100 units a month, it is central subsidy only. Check your connection on the MSEDCL i-SMART portal before paying a vendor full price: SMART details · MSEDCL guide.
Telangana gives the central subsidy only today. A state plan to put free 2 kW plants on 20 lakh poor households was reported in March 2026, but it is not an SC/ST scheme and has no public application route yet, so do not wait on it if solar already pays for your bill (Telangana guide). Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan pay state top-ups to every category, not extra to SC and ST homes (state top-ups). Some district or tribal-welfare programmes fund solar separately, mostly for lighting or pumps rather than grid-connected rooftops. Ask your DISCOM or the district welfare office; do not assume.
The extra grant shrinks what you pay, but your bill still decides the payback. A home on a ₹1,500+ monthly bill usually recovers a 2–3 kW plant within a few years after subsidy; a home on under ₹800 a month, or already on free units, saves little in rupees. Sizing guides: 2 kW price · 3 kW price · panels for 3 kW · solar loan.
If you qualify for Andhra Pradesh's free route, you do not need us: wait for the DISCOM. If you are paying for the plant yourself in any state, our free bill check tells you whether 2 or 3 kW pays back after the subsidy you actually qualify for. Sealix is an independent advisory, not a government body, DISCOM or installer, and we add no subsidy of our own.
No. The central PM Surya Ghar subsidy is the same for every household category: ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for 3 kW or more, with a higher table for notified special-category states and UTs. Anything extra for SC and ST families comes from the state. As of October 2026 the clearest state schemes are Andhra Pradesh (free 2 kW plant for SC/ST homes using up to 200 units), West Bengal (₹15,000 extra) and Maharashtra's SMART scheme (₹15,000 extra for homes under 100 units on MSEDCL).
Andhra Pradesh is the clear case. SC and ST domestic consumers using up to 200 units a month get a plant of up to 2 kW installed at no cost, but the DISCOM owns it and the government pays the family roof rent of ₹1 per square foot a month. There is no portal application: the DISCOM surveys eligible homes and takes consent. In Maharashtra, an SC/ST home under 100 units pays about ₹5,000 for a 1 kW plant under SMART, which is close to free but not free. Elsewhere, treat any 'free solar for SC/ST' offer from a private vendor as a red flag.
West Bengal launched PM Surya Ghar in the state on 22 July 2026 with a general top-up of ₹5,000 for 1 kW, ₹10,000 for 2 kW and ₹15,000 for 3 kW, and announced a further ₹15,000 for SC and ST households. On a 3 kW plant that is ₹78,000 central plus ₹15,000 state plus ₹15,000 SC/ST, about ₹1,08,000 in total. Confirm that both state amounts appear against your application before you count them in payback.
Expect the standard PM Surya Ghar set (latest electricity bill in the applicant's name, Aadhaar, bank account details, roof ownership proof) plus a valid caste certificate issued by the state, because the extra amount is a state benefit paid against category. In Andhra Pradesh the free-plant route also checks that you are on the SC/ST free-units list and use up to 200 units a month. Keep the certificate details matching the name on the electricity bill to avoid a rejection.
Related: AP SC/ST and BC scheme · State top-ups · West Bengal · Maharashtra · Eligibility · "Free solar" myth
