What this scheme offers
Saraswati Sadhana Yojana, begun in 2019, helps girls from Scheduled Caste and Developing Caste families in Gujarat reach school when they move up to Class 9, often the year when travel to a farther school begins and dropouts rise. Each eligible girl gets a free bicycle through a voucher. The state budgeted ₹75 crore in 2023-24 for about two lakh girls and ₹84 crore in 2024-25. The family income must not exceed ₹1.2 lakh in rural areas or ₹1.5 lakh in urban areas. Uniquely, there is no individual application: the school principal uploads the list of eligible girls on the Digital Gujarat portal, the District Social Welfare Officer verifies it, and the department then issues vouchers for the cycle.
Who is eligible
- A girl studying in Class 9 in a government or government-aided school in Gujarat.
- She must belong to a Scheduled Caste or a Developing Caste (Vikasshil Jati) family.
- Annual family income up to ₹1,20,000 in rural areas or ₹1,50,000 in urban areas.
- No separate application is made by the girl — the school prepares and uploads the list.
Documents required
- Caste certificate (SC or Developing Caste)
- Income certificate showing the family is within the limit
- School enrolment record for Class 9
- Aadhaar card of the student
- Bank account details, if asked by the school
How to apply
- Tell your Class 9 class teacher or principal that you are eligible and give them your caste and income certificates.
- The school principal uploads the list of eligible girls on the Digital Gujarat portal.
- The District Social Welfare Officer verifies the recommended cases.
- After verification, the department generates and issues a voucher for the bicycle.
- Use the voucher at the designated supplier to collect your free bicycle.