Lucknow: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the decision to provide petrol-powered scooties to graduate girls.Aimed at empowering women, the decision will benefit 50,000 girls enrolled in universities, both public and private and govt, aided and private colleges affiliated with state universities.The Rani Laxmibai Scooty Scheme seeks to reduce dropout rates among girls, improve retention in higher education institutions and enhance mobility for girls pursuing higher studies. Under the scheme, the top 5% meritorious girl students, who are permanent residents of Uttar Pradesh and graduate during the 2025-26 academic session, will be benefitted.Students whose family income is Rs 12 lakh or below will be benefitted from the scheme.Higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyaya said, “The initiative will contribute to an increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) while promoting the overall development, confidence and independence of young women.”Govt decided to provide petrol-powered scooties due to availability of adequate infrastructure, including service centres and fuel, in remote rural areas, making it a feasible option. Procurement of vehicles will be carried out through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal to ensure transparency and efficiency, said Upadhyaya.Govt stated that beneficiaries will get additional benefits like registration of the vehicle, comprehensive insurance coverage, an ISI-marked safety helmet, a complete set of accessories and five litres of petrol. These provisions, said Upadhyaya, will ensure that students can begin using the scooters immediately without incurring extra expenses.
