Muzaffarpur: Devki Devi, widely known as Solar Didi, has been invited by the President of India to attend the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, a rare honour for a rural entrepreneur from Bihar. The official invitation was sent from Rashtrapati Bhavan and delivered to her home in Kakrachak village, in the Bochaha block of Muzaffarpur district. She will attend the ceremony on January 26 along with her husband, Sunil Kumar.
The news has brought joy across the village. While Devki Devi has flown before, this will be the first time her husband travels by air. Neighbours and well-wishers gathered at her home to congratulate her after the invitation arrived. Postal officials personally handed over the letter, a moment that left Devki Devi emotional. She described it as the proudest moment of her life.
The government has arranged Air India flights for the couple, who will travel from Patna to Delhi on January 25 and return the same evening after the ceremony. Devki Devi said she will also have an opportunity to meet the President during the event. “I never imagined I would receive a call from Rashtrapati Bhavan,” she said, adding that the honour belongs to her entire village.
Devki Devi’s recognition follows years of struggle. In 2022, her family faced severe hardship after her husband lost his job and their house was destroyed in a fire. During this difficult period, she joined the Bihar government’s Jeevika programme and was selected for a solar-powered irrigation pump scheme, a decision that changed her life.
Despite initial scepticism from villagers, she took a loan to install a solar pump and gradually earned farmers’ trust. Today, her system provides affordable irrigation to 112 farmers across nearly 40 acres of land. The shift from diesel to solar power has reduced irrigation costs and improved farm productivity.
Now earning more than Rs 1 lakh annually, Devki Devi has become a symbol of rural innovation and women’s empowerment. Her work has also been praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who mentioned her in his radio programme Mann Ki Baat. From struggling to secure daily meals to attending a national celebration in the capital, her journey reflects the growing impact of grassroots renewable energy initiatives in India.
