Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana 2026: Official Eligibility Guide

For more than a year, the promise of a free scooter for meritorious girl students in Uttar Pradesh existed mostly on paper — announced in a budget speech, repeated in the next one, but never turned into a working scheme. That changed on July 21, 2026, when the UP Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved the Standard Operating Procedure for the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana, moving it from proposal to an official state scheme.

For girl students in Uttar Pradesh's rural and semi-urban districts, this is not a small announcement. Long, unsafe, or unreliable commutes to college are one of the most common reasons cited for girls dropping out of higher education. The scheme is designed to remove that specific barrier by putting a scooter directly into the hands of meritorious students from families that need the support most.

What Is the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana 2026

The Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana is a Uttar Pradesh government initiative under the Higher Education Department, aimed at meritorious girl students who complete graduation and continue their studies. Named after the warrior queen Rani Laxmi Bai, the scheme traces its origins to the BJP's 2022 UP assembly election manifesto, which promised free scooters to help young women become self-reliant.

Finance Minister Suresh Khanna first allocated funds for the scheme in the state budget presented in February 2025, and the same ₹400 crore allocation was carried forward in the UP Budget 2026-27. That repeated budgeting, followed by the July 2026 Cabinet approval, confirms that the state government now intends to run this as a fully functioning scheme rather than a future promise.

Quick Summary Box

• Scheme approved: July 21, 2026 (UP Cabinet)

• Budget: ₹400 crore
• Beneficiaries: Around 50,000 girl students
• Income limit: ₹12 lakh per year
• Merit criterion: Top 5% of girl graduates
• Scooty type: Petrol-operated
• How to apply: Through your college or university — not a direct public form

UP Scooty Yojana Eligibility Criteria Explained

The eligibility rules under the approved SOP are now considerably clearer than the earlier draft version that circulated online. To qualify for the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana 2026, an applicant must meet the following conditions:

• Be a permanent resident of Uttar Pradesh.
• Have completed graduation during the Academic Session 2025-26 from an eligible institution.
• Rank among the top 5% meritorious girl graduates, based on the merit list prepared by her institution. Where results are recorded in CGPA, the university converts this into a percentage using its own applicable rules.
• Belong to a family with an annual income of ₹12 lakh or less.
• Be enrolled in an eligible institution — this includes state universities, private universities, government colleges, government-aided colleges, and self-financed colleges, as well as institutions functioning under departments such as Technical Education, Medical Education, Law, AYUSH, Agriculture Education and Research, and Divyangjan Empowerment.

One of the most important updates in the approved SOP concerns exemptions. Daughters of martyrs, Nirashrit (destitute) girl students, and Divyang (differently-abled) girl students do not need to meet the merit condition at all. If they satisfy the other eligibility requirements, they are compulsorily provided a scooty under the scheme.

UP Scooty Yojana Income Limit and Family Eligibility

The income limit has been a source of confusion for months, with different unofficial sources quoting figures ranging from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹10 lakh. The approved SOP has settled this: the applicant's family must have an annual income of ₹12 lakh or less to qualify for the Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana 2026.

This income ceiling applies to the general merit-based category. As noted above, students who are daughters of martyrs, destitute, or differently-abled are not evaluated against the merit criterion, though they must still meet the residency and enrolment conditions.

Documents Required for Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana

Since the application process runs through colleges and universities rather than a direct student portal, institutions will be responsible for collecting and verifying the following documents from eligible students:

• Student registration form or admission record
• Latest passport-size photograph
• Uttar Pradesh domicile certificate
• Income certificate confirming annual family income below ₹12 lakh
• APAAR ID
• Aadhaar card
• Divyang disability certificate, where applicable
• Aadhaar-linked mobile number, for OTP-based verification

Students are advised to prepare these documents in advance and hand them over to their institution's administration when asked, rather than waiting for a public notification.

Step-by-Step: How the UP Scooty Yojana Application Process Works

Unlike most scholarship schemes, girl students do not fill out a separate application form themselves. Instead, the process is handled institution-first. Here is how it works, step by step:

1. Institution collects details — Your college or university gathers the required documents and academic records from eligible students.

2. Merit list preparation — The institution prepares a merit list of the top 5% girl graduates, which is authenticated by the Registrar and Controller of Examinations using e-signatures.

3. List forwarded to authorities — Once the scheme portal, currently being developed through the National Informatics Centre (NIC), becomes operational, the university forwards the eligible beneficiary list to the concerned department.

4. District-level verification — The District Magistrate verifies the shortlisted beneficiaries through the designated verification process.

5. Scooty distribution — After verification, the District Magistrate facilitates distribution of the scooty to selected students, typically through a local event.

6. Proof of receipt — The beneficiary's receipt or proof of possession is uploaded to the scheme portal to close the process.

Students should track updates through their own institution's notice board or official communication rather than searching for a separate "apply now" link, since none is expected for individual applicants.

Benefits Students Will Receive Under the Scheme

Beyond the scooty itself, the approved SOP confirms several additional benefits for beneficiaries:

• A free petrol-operated scooter
• Free vehicle registration, paid for by the state government
• Insurance coverage for the vehicle
• A helmet
• A one-time supply of five litres of petrol at the time of distribution

All scooters under the scheme will be procured through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. A district-level service centre and grievance redressal system will also be available for any complaints related to the scheme's implementation.

Students should also note one important restriction: a beneficiary cannot sell the scooty allotted to her under any circumstances.

Conclusion

The Rani Laxmi Bai Scooty Yojana 2026 has moved well beyond the announcement stage. With Cabinet approval secured in July 2026, a

confirmed ₹12 lakh income limit, a top-5% merit criterion, and a defined institution-led process, the scheme is now a matter of implementation rather than intent. The one thing still missing is a live public portal — but since the process runs through colleges and universities, students don't need to wait for that to start preparing. Keeping documents ready and staying in touch with your institution's administration is currently the most useful step any eligible student can take.

For More Information -

https://www.govtschemes.in/uttar-pradesh-rani-laxmi-bai-scooty-yojana

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