Jaipur, July 21 -- Rajasthan has emerged as a leading state in India's decentralised solar energy push, making rapid progress under the PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme. Official data showed that Rajasthan has developed 592 decentralised solar plants with a total capacity of 1,190 megawatts (MW) in just one year. This has taken the state's cumulative capacity to 1,305 MW across 684 plants - making it a national hub for decentralised solar power. An official release said the sharp rise in decentralised solar capacity is driven by the focused implementation of two key components of the PM-KUSUM scheme. Under Component-A, which allows grid-connected plants of up to 2 MW, Rajasthan has installed 457 MW across 354 plants. In Component-C, which supports grid-connected plants up to 5 MW with central subsidy, the state has added 848 MW through 330 installations. "This marks a leap from the mere 123 MW capacity that existed before the current government took charge in December 2023, underscoring the pace and scale of the state's renewable energy expansion." It added that a standout feature of Rajasthan's solar success is that the plants are not set up by large corporate groups. Instead, farmers are leveraging their barren or non-cultivable land - either independently or in collaboration with developers - to install these grid-connected solar units. These farmers are now transitioning from "annadata" (food providers) to "urjadata" (energy providers), opening a new era of rural entrepreneurship. The decentralised model enables small-capacity solar plants to be installed within a 5-km radius of grid substations, reducing the need for additional transmission infrastructure. This set-up minimises distribution losses and provides clean electricity at significantly reduced costs (Rs.2.09 to Rs.3.00 per unit) - a major relief for Rajasthan's debt-laden DISCOMs, which are burdened by nearly Rs.90,000 crore in liabilities due to expensive thermal power purchases. "Rajasthan has also made its mark at the national level in terms of decentralised solar capacity under the PM-KUSUM scheme. In Component-A, the state holds the top position in the country with the highest installed capacity of 457 MW. In Component-C, Rajasthan ranks third, following Gujarat and Maharashtra, reflecting its growing prominence in the renewable energy sector." In view of Rajasthan's impressive performance, the Union ministry of new and renewable energy has substantially raised the state's targets under the PM-KUSUM scheme....