Gandhi

GLOBAL
SOLAR
YATRA

Promoting Localized Energy Self-sufficiency for

Sustainability & Mitigating Climate Change

Gandhi
Global Solar Yatra
 Galaxies are the vast collection of stars,
A SMALL SPACE IN and according to an estimate there are
around 100-200 billion galaxies in the

THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE entire universe. Amongst these hundreds

of galaxies, there is Milky Way which holds
our Solar System. Various reports suggests
THAT HOLDS LIFE that there are 100 billion solar systems
alone in Milky Way, of which one of them
is our solar system. In our solar system,
IS PRECIOUS! there are 8 planets, of which Earth is one
of them. Life is possible only on planet
Earth due to the presence of the
Atmosphere. However, not all the layers in
the atmosphere host life, and it is only a
thin layer of Troposphere which has the
ability to sustain human life. It is,
therefore, important to conserve and save
this layer, which would otherwise lead to
human extinction.

Dear Humans,
Today, the world is on the crossroads of
the energy contradiction, wherein, on
one hand, there are billions who do not
have access to energy and on the other
hand use of energy is resulting in
climate change.
At Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Bombay through its Solar Urja through
Localization for Sustainability (SoULS,
-Mahatma Gandhi www.soulsiitb.in) Initiative has been
working on the facilitating localized
solar solutions involving local
communities in assembly, distribution,
repair and maintenance, and even
manufacturing of the solar products.
The SoULS Initiative has benefited
millions of households and created
jobs for thousands of local people.
In the backdrop of energy access and
climate change, an idea of “Energy
Swaraj” or localized energy
self-sufficiency has been
conceptualized. In order to propagate
Energy Swaraj, Gandhi Global Solar
Yatra (GGSY, www.ggsy.in) is planned
not only in India but across the globe.
IT IS
TIME TO ACT!
The young generation, who will bear
the maximum burden of climate
change, has to be an integral part of
this clean energy revolution. A
workshop on 2nd Oct. 2019 is being
organized across the globe to make
young students as Students Solar
Ambassadors, sensitizing them on solar
energy and giving them hands-on
training to make their own solar study
lamp. The event also marks 150th Birth
Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. A
similar workshop was organized on
2nd October 2018, which was also a
Guinness World Record event.
Climate change has dire consequences
and not only everyone should be aware
of it but contribute to mitigating its
effects. We would, therefore, request
you to join hands and support GGSY.
2
             
   
EARTH    '           
  
OVERSHOOT             

DAY Humans today are utilizing a year-worth

of Earth’s resources much before the year ends

Earth Overshoot Day is the day when

the demand for natural resources in a
given year exceeds the resources that
Earth can regenerate in a year. Earth’s
natural resources are limited and
rampant exploitation has already
caused the Earth Overshoot Day on the
1st August 2018.

More than 70% of 1.7

earth resources used in 2018.

countries had their

2017 02 AUGUST 151 DAY OVERDRAFT
Earth Overshoot
2007 15 AUGUST 138 DAY

Day in just 6 1997 30 SEPTEMBER 92 DAY

months. 1987 24 OCTOBER 68 DAY

1977 01 NOVEMBER 60 DAY

Earth Overshoot Day

3
The Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change issued a special report
on the impacts of Global Warming of
1.5°C which is one of the major reports
FAR-REACHING
on climate change. The report finds TRANSITIONS IN
that limiting global warming to 1.5°C
would require “rapid and far-reaching” ENERGY TRAJECTORY
transitions in Energy. Limiting
temperature increase requires
unprecedented changes in society, but
will have huge benefits. CO2 emission
would need to fall by about 45% from
2010 levels by 2030, reaching ‘net zero’
around 2050. Every half a degree of
warming matters.

2
4
       
    
    

  
                        
    
WHAT           
                 
IS THE     

        
      
                    

SOLUTION? Solar energy generation and consumption is

sustainable and facilitates equitable growth

5

The world needs to switch towards
green energy sources and utilize
energy efficiently for sustainability of
energy to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. Renewable energy
technology-based solutions today,
particularly solar due to advancement
in technologies and reduction in cost,
can be utilized to meet the complete
24x7 energy needs locally and
sustainably.
ENERGY
SWARAJ
The approach of generation and
consumption of energy to fulfill our
requirements needs a relook. In this
context, the Gandhian principle of “not
mass production but production by the
masses” is required to be applied in the
field of energy sustainability to address
United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Local
people are getting trained to own,
manage, and operate solar enterprises
at every level including assembly, sale,
after-sales service, and manufacturing
to create Solar Energy-ecosystem by
Locals for Locals. Access to affordable,
innovative technologies for the clean
environment, local skill development,
entrepreneurship, and job creation was
observed in remote rural areas. Based
on the above the idea of Energy Swaraj
or localized energy self-sufficiency
(LESS) through the use of modern
renewable energy solutions can be
thought off.
6
               
Solar Urja            
  
through Localization            
SoULS for Sustainability
I I T B O M B A Y             

Decentralized solar energy generation

is production by masses
About SoULS Initiative

Solar Urja through Localization for

Sustainability (SoULS) Initiative, a
flagship program of IIT Bombay aims
at leading a global movement for
socio-economic development
through affordable, sustainable,
reliable & complete energy access, 1

Inv
built on the foundations of

olv
localization. SoULS Initiative through

es
its program has been advocating

Lo
LOC
fit

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localized energy solutions through the
ne

AL
involvement of local communities in

SK
IZA
e
EB

ILL
all the operations related to

TIO
AL

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dissemination of technology. SoULS
f SC

Initiative, IIT Bombay is working to

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create an ecosystem for Localized

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LAS
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om

Energy Self-Sufficiency. It works

URA

FRAMEWORK
con

towards the creation of a local

SAT
sE

ecosystem involves local communities

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in every operation of solar electricity

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generation and consumption.

3 AFFORDABILITY 2

Gives SPEED
7
 OUTCOMES OF
SoULS INITIATIVE

Households
benefitted
4 million+

Women
empowered
6900+

Blocks
covered
300+

States
covered
10

CO2 emission
reduction
18,000+
 STUDENTS SOLAR
AMBASSADOR 2018

About Students Solar Ambassador 2018

The young generation will be facing the
dire consequences of the changing
climate. It is therefore, important to
sensitize them and make them promoters
of solar energy. In this pursuit, on 2nd Oct.
2018 “Student Solar Ambassador”
workshop across India was organized
wherein all states of India participated.
Overall 1,32,000 students participated,
and 5,700 students gathered at the IIT
Bombay Campus to become Students
Solar Ambassador. It was a Guinness
World Record Event!!!

1,32,000
Students Participated

9
 GANDHI
GLOBAL SOLAR YATRA

About GGSY
The Gandhi Global Solar Yatra is designed
to promote localized energy
self-sufficiency for sustainability by
creating awareness and sensitizing
towards viability of 24X7 decentralized

1 MILLION
solar solutions.

MORE THAN
The main objective of the yatra is to
provide Hands-On training for more
than 1 Million Students Solar
Ambassadors across the globe on 2nd
October 2019. Other objectives of the Student Solar Ambassador
yatra include: on
Introduce localized energy
self-sufficiency for sustainability
2 Oct 2019
nd

across the globe,

Promotion of Gandhian principles
where students will make their
Establish relevance of 24X7 solar study lamps, making them
decentralized off-grid solar solutions aware of renewable energy solutions
Spreading the message of Non-Violence
towards Environment

Propagate localized solar energy

solutions (experience sharing of SoULS)
10
 STUDENTS SOLAR
AMBASSADOR 2019

About Students Solar Ambassador 2019

As the culmination of the yatra, a

On this day,
Students Solar Ambassador Workshop
will be organized on 2nd October 2019 more than
wherein more than 1 Million Students
will get hands-on training to assemble 1 Million Students
their own solar study lamp.
will be taking a
Since this day is recognized as the
International Non-Violence Day, the pledge of
day will be extended as the
Non-Violence towards Environment. non-violence
towards environment

2nd October 2019

11 2
Today on International Day of
Non-Violence, I humbly stand here with a
solemn pledge,

“to protect, preserve, and nurture our environment

for a gratifying present and green future;

to be conscious of my own actions to not cause harm to

our nature;

to show courage to speak up condemning action that

damage our environment;

to be compassionate, responsible global citizens to

ensure peaceful co-existence of all living beings in the
world.”
 The Stone Age didn’t end
for lack of stone, and
the oil age will end long before
the world runs out of oil.
- A. Z. Yamani, Minister of Oil, Saudi Arabia

There are enough

compelling reasons to
adopt solar energy
RIGHT NOW
 To Donate for this noble cause,
visit our website www.ggsy.in

Contact us:
Gandhi Global Solar Yatra
Room No. 612, 6th Floor,
Department of Energy Science & Engineering
Near Market Gate, IIT Bombay Campus,
Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra - 400078
Email us: info@ggsy.in
Ph: +91 22 2576 7895 ; +91 9326 584 627

We look forward to your generous support for this cause.