Saraswati Cycle Yojana

Saraswati Cycle Yojana is a prominent educational welfare scheme launched by the Government of Chhattisgarh. The initiative aims to promote secondary education among girls belonging to underprivileged sections of society by providing them with free bicycles to ease their commute to school.^[1]

History and objectives

The scheme was launched in 2004-05 to address the high dropout rates of girl students in rural areas, where schools were often located far from their residences.

Promote Enrollment: To encourage girls to transition from middle school (Class 8) to high school (Class 9).^[2]
Safety and Mobility: To provide a safe and independent means of transport for female students.
Social Equality: To support students from SC, ST, and BPL families who cannot afford private transport.^[3]

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the scheme, the applicant must meet the following conditions:

Must be a permanent resident of Chhattisgarh.^[1]
Must be a girl student enrolled in Class 9 in a government or government-aided school.^[2]
Must belong to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), or Below Poverty Line (BPL) categories.^[4]

Implementation (2025-26)

In the current academic session (2025-26), the Vishnu Deo Sai government has allocated a dedicated budget to ensure the distribution of cycles within the first quarter of the school year.

Distribution Scale: Approximately 1.5 lakh girl students are targeted for cycle distribution in 2026.^[4]
E-Cycles Pilot: In some urban areas of Raipur and Durg, the government is considering a pilot project to provide electric cycles to students living in hilly terrains.^[5]

Beneficiary statistics

Category	Benefit Provided	Ref.
SC/ST Girl Students	Free Bicycle	^[1]
BPL Girl Students	Free Bicycle	^[2]
Hostel Residents	Transport Voucher (Optional)	^[5]

References

1 2 3 "Saraswati Cycle Yojana Details". District Bastar Administration. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
1 2 3 "Educational Schemes in Chhattisgarh". Department of School Education, Chhattisgarh.
↑ "Saraswati Cycle Yojana: Empowering rural girls". The Times of India. 15 July 2025.
1 2 "Criteria for Saraswati Cycle Yojana updated". Dainik Jagran. 12 January 2026.
1 2 "Chhattisgarh explores e-cycles for students". Patrika. 25 January 2026.

[BastarSaraswati-1] 1 2 3 "Saraswati Cycle Yojana Details". District Bastar Administration. Retrieved 2 February 2026.

[CGGovEdu-2] 1 2 3 "Educational Schemes in Chhattisgarh". Department of School Education, Chhattisgarh.

[TOI2025-3] "Saraswati Cycle Yojana: Empowering rural girls". The Times of India. 15 July 2025.

[Jagran26-4] 1 2 "Criteria for Saraswati Cycle Yojana updated". Dainik Jagran. 12 January 2026.

[Patrika26-5] 1 2 "Chhattisgarh explores e-cycles for students". Patrika. 25 January 2026.

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