LUCKNOW, July 21 -- Nearly five years after promising it in its election manifesto, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh is set to roll out the much hyped Rani Lakshmibai Scooty Scheme before the assembly elections early next year. On Tuesday, the UP Cabinet approved the eligibility criteria and guidelines for implementing the scheme, which will benefit around 50,000 meritorious women students.

The ambitious initiative is aimed at ensuring easier access to higher education for women students while making them self-reliant and confident. Under it, free scooties will be given on a merit basis to the top 5% of women students in each university and college provided they are natives of UP and have passed out with a bachelor's degree in the 202...