India, July 13 -- Karnataka's ambitious Shakti scheme, which offers free bus travel for women across the state, is set to achieve a significant milestone, 500 crore tickets issued, within just two years of its launch, reported The Times of India. It is expected to be crossed by July 14, with over 497 crore free tickets issued as of July 11, as per the publication.

Launched on June 11, 2023, the Shakti scheme is a flagship programme of the Congress government, aimed at enhancing women's access to public transport. The scheme allows free travel for women in non-luxury buses operated by KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC. According to the report, more than 20,000 of the state's 25,000 buses now support free travel under the scheme. In June 2025...