After implementing free bus travel for women under the successful Shakti Scheme, the Karnataka government is now extending the benefit to students of government-run Karnataka Public Schools (KPS). Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced via a post on X that students from LKG to Pre-University level enrolled in KPS schools will be eligible for free travel on government buses.

Currently, Karnataka has 308 KPS institutions offering education in both Kannada and English mediums. Since female students are already covered under the existing Shakti scheme, only male students from these schools will be included in this new initiative.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed that the proposal for free travel for KPS students is under serious consideration, though a final decision is yet to be made.

Each KPS school reportedly has over 2,000 students, with around half being male. This means that more than 3 lakh students could potentially benefit from the free bus travel if the scheme is implemented.

The move comes as part of a broader effort to ease transportation burdens for students and encourage attendance in public education.

Shakti scheme crosses 500 crore free tickets milestone

Launched in June 2023, the Shakti Scheme has been a major flagship promise of the Congress government, offering free bus travel to women across Karnataka. So far, over 500 crore free tickets have been issued through various state-run transport corporations, including long-distance and city buses (excluding premium services).

The government has spent approximately ₹16,662 crore on the scheme over two years. To celebrate crossing the 500 crore ticket mark, special events were held across the state, including bus decorations and the distribution of sweets to passengers.