Railways Wins PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award from VP

The Ministry of Railways has been given the PM Surya Ghar Excellence Award, handed over by Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on 5 November 2026 at the Renewable Energy Summit and Expo 2026 held in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The category it topped

The honour came in the category of Maximum Buildings Solarized by Central Ministries and Departments, awarded under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The railways finished first among all central ministries and departments on that count, which the government has held up as a benchmark for taking rooftop solar into public institutions.

What the railways has fitted

The ministry first drew up a list of buildings where a rooftop array was feasible and found 15,868 of them across the country. Of these, 12,495 buildings, or 79 per cent, now have rooftop solar systems in place. Measured in capacity rather than buildings, the ministry has commissioned 351 MW of rooftop solar against a target of 424 MW. It has committed to covering every remaining feasible building by March 2027.

Railways against the national count

The wider picture

Across the government, 39,135 buildings were identified for rooftop solar in 77 central ministries and departments, and 25,984 of them, about 66 per cent, have been solarised so far. Because it holds one of the largest building stocks of any ministry, the railways contributes a sizeable share of that national figure. PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana is the centre's rooftop solar programme, and the excellence awards under it mark out the ministries and departments that have moved quickest in putting panels on their own roofs. The railways has described the recognition as part of its push towards a cleaner and more energy-efficient way of running the network.