Grade 10 is a crucial year in the academic life of any individual. It lays the foundation for the student’s higher education and sets the course for what their future has in store for them. However, studies reveal that most girls from poorer families in India cannot afford higher education due to a lack of facilities.
Girls, in cases more than one, find it difficult to commute to school, and paying for travel becomes impossible for parents who barely make ends meet.
To solve this issue and to offer girls in rural areas a definitive means to travel, the Gujarat Government has initiated an innovative scheme – the Gujarat Saraswati Sadhana Yojana which encourages girls from the Scheduled Castes community to pursue their further studies. According to the scheme, the government of Gujarat will offer free bicycles to Scheduled caste girls studying in class 9th of Government or government-aided schools.
Objective of the Gujarat Saraswati Sadhana Yojana
The Gujarat government, on several instances, noticed that the drop out ratio of girls increased exponentially in higher standards, especially in grade 10, which is the most important academic year in a student’s life. In order to reduce that and to incentivize the girls to continue their further education, the government of Gujarat introduced the free Bicycle scheme.
What are the criteria for availing the benefits of the Gujarat Saraswati Sadhana Yojana?
In order to benefit from the scheme, the applicant has to adhere to the following criteria.
- The annual income of the parents belonging to the Scheduled Caste from all sources must not be more than ₹1,20,000 for rural residents and ₹1,50,000 for urban areas
- The candidate should be an Indian citizen
- The girl should belong to the Scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, or the OBC category.
- The girl child must be below the 9th grade to have the bicycle by the time she reaches grade 10.
- The girl must belong to a family that falls under the Below Poverty Line.
Documents needed to avail of the scheme
- Aadhaar card – of the applicant girl and her father
- BPL card
- Income certificate to prove annual income
- Prior year marksheets
- Caste certificate
- Birth certificate
With these documents in place, the application procedure for the Free bicycle scheme goes seamlessly. The great thing about this scheme is that it allows young girls to be fully equipped to travel to school and bridge the distance between girls and their academics.
In conclusion
The Free Bicycle scheme encourages young girls to never give up on education. Education is the only source of redemption from the vicious cycle of poverty and the more girls get a chance to be educated, the better is their chance in the world. Women empowerment is the need of the hour and with this scheme in place, it stands to be clear as to what the future holds for us as a nation. We stand on the horizon of a new India where girls are educated and equality has been attained across sectors.
