Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme: Meritorious daughters pursuing higher education in Uttar Pradesh will no longer need to worry about transport to reach college. The state government has approved the implementation of the Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme, deciding to provide free petrol-powered scooties to the top five percent of girl students clearing their final year graduation in the 2025-26 academic session.
Around 50,000 girl students are expected to benefit from the scheme. The government will also bear the cost of insurance, registration, helmet, and five litres of petrol for each scooty, in addition to the vehicle itself.
Disabled graduate students, destitute girls, and daughters of martyrs will receive scooties without the merit criteria applying to them. The state government will spend approximately Rs 400 crore on this initiative overall.
Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme: Who Can Apply?
Sharing details of the cabinet decision, Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay said the scheme's benefit will be available only to girl students who are original residents of Uttar Pradesh. The eligible student's family annual income must not exceed ₹12 lakh, ensuring the scheme reaches students genuinely in need of financial support for transportation.
Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme: How Will Selection Happen?
Selection under the scheme will be made purely based on merit. The benefit will be extended to final-year graduate girl students studying in state universities, private universities, government colleges affiliated to state universities, as well as aided and self-financed colleges across Uttar Pradesh, based on their academic performance.
Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme: Why Petrol Scooty Instead Of Electric?
Considering the limited availability of charging infrastructure and service centres in remote and rural areas, the government has decided to provide petrol-powered scooties instead of electric ones. The scooties will be procured through the GeM portal, with applications invited from various companies within ten days, followed by a display and selection process based on safety and convenience.
Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme: How Many Students Will Benefit?
Uttar Pradesh currently has 36 state universities, 50 private universities, 465 government colleges, and 7,827 self-financed colleges. Nearly 27,79,494 girl students were registered across all three years of graduation courses in these institutions during the previous session.
In the 2025-26 academic session, close to nine lakh girl students are enrolled in the final year of graduation, making them eligible to compete for this scheme based on merit.