The Uttar Pradesh government has taken a monumental step towards women empowerment and educational advancement by approving the Rani Laxmibai Scooty Yojana. During a crucial cabinet meeting held in Lucknow, the state government cleared a total of 18 significant proposals aimed at transforming the educational and infrastructural landscape of the state. Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay announced that the primary objective of the scooty scheme is to encourage meritorious female students and facilitate their access to higher education, making them more self-reliant in their academic journey.
Details of the Rani Laxmibai Scooty Yojana
The state government has allocated a substantial budget of 400 crore rupees for the implementation of the Rani Laxmibai Scooty Yojana. This scheme is designed to benefit the top 5 percent of female students graduating in the academic year 2025-26 from various institutions. The scope of the scheme is extensive, covering all government colleges, state universities, private universities, affiliated colleges, and self-financed institutions. To ensure that the benefits reach the deserving, the government has set an eligibility criterion where the annual family income of the student must be less than 12 lakh rupees.
Under this initiative, the state government won't only provide the scooty but will also bear the costs of registration fees and vehicle insurance. Also, each beneficiary will receive 5 liters of petrol to kickstart their commute. The procurement of these vehicles will be conducted transparently through the GeM portal. Notably, the government has shown special consideration for students belonging to the Divyangjan category, destitute families, and families of martyrs. For these specific groups, the merit-based standard won't be applicable, ensuring they receive the benefits regardless of their academic ranking.
Establishment of Research Chairs and Educational Grants
In line with the National Education Policy 2020, the cabinet approved a proposal for the establishment of Research Chairs (Shodhpeeth) to integrate Indian knowledge traditions into higher education. Each university and eligible college will receive a grant of 1 crore rupees for this purpose. This grant will be kept as a fixed deposit, and the interest earned from it will be utilized to manage the operations of the Research Chair. Institutions that have completed 50 years of establishment or those with a student strength exceeding 5000 are eligible to apply for this grant.
Infrastructure and Connectivity: Vindhya Expressway
A major highlight of the cabinet meeting was the approval of the Vindhya Expressway project. This 333 kilometer long expressway will initially be 6 lanes, with a provision for expansion to 8 lanes. It's designed to connect the districts of Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, and Sonbhadra. The project is expected to be completed within 36 months. The construction cost is estimated at 18514 crore rupees, while 4613 crore rupees have been earmarked for land acquisition. The total potential cost of the project is approximately 26315 crore rupees. The expressway will commence from the termination point of the Ganga Expressway in Prayagraj.
On top of that, the cabinet approved the Vindhya-Purvanchal Spur Link, a greenfield project that will also be 6 lanes with expansion capability to 8 lanes. This 117 kilometer link will connect Ghazipur, Mirzapur, and Chandauli districts. The total project cost is 9039 crore rupees, which includes 5628 crore rupees for construction and 3379 crore rupees for the acquisition of 1731 hectares of land.
New Hostels and Urban Development
The cabinet also focused on providing better residential facilities for female students and working women. A proposal was approved for the construction of a new girls' hostel at Vasant Mahila Mahavidyalaya in Raj Fort, Varanasi, which is a constituent college of Banaras Hindu University. The project, costing 248 lakh 30 thousand rupees under the Accelerated Economic Development Scheme, will accommodate 112 students. On top of that, under the Mukhyamantri Shramjeevi Mahila Hostel scheme, 6000 square meters of land will be provided free of cost in Varanasi for a hostel with a capacity of 500 working women. Similar approvals have already been granted for Jhansi, Agra, Meerut, and Gorakhpur.
Transport and Emergency Services
To strengthen the state's transport and emergency infrastructure, the cabinet approved the purchase of 220 new buses for the State Road Transport Corporation with a budget of 400 crore rupees. This fleet will include 50-seater electric buses and 42-seater buses. For the Fire and Emergency Services, the cabinet cleared the procurement and fabrication of 5 new water tenders with a capacity of 2500 liters, the replacement of 39 old water tenders, and the purchase of 5 foam tenders with a capacity of 5000 plus 500 liters. Lastly, a proposal to provide 20 crore rupees to the Outsourcing Service Corporation was approved. This interest-free loan will be repaid over 10 years at a rate of 2 crore rupees per year, starting after an initial 5 year period.