The tradition of altering the color of bicycles provided to school students in the state has been tied to changes in government. However, this pattern is set to shift after nearly 17 years. This time, the government, led by Bhajan Lal Sharma, has opted to distribute black-colored bicycles.

In 2008, the government launched this initiative in response to a concerning dropout rate among rural girls, particularly after the 8th grade due to the distance of schools. Consequently, in 2008, the government began distributing bicycles to facilitate school attendance for children. This provision extended to every class of female students. To date, 7,58,791 bicycles have been distributed across the state. The distribution of these bicycles has already commenced, with many districts opting for black-colored bicycles. 

The distribution of the new black-colored bicycles has already begun, with several districts opting for this sleek and modern look. Sanjay Dhawan, Chief Financial Advisor of the Secondary Education Directorate and a member of the Bicycle Purchase Committee, shared that the cost of each bicycle is Rs 3857. The total expenditure for distributing 758,791 bicycles amounts to Rs 300 Crore.

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