What is Shakti Scheme Karnataka?
Shakti is one of the five guarantee schemes rolled out by the Karnataka government through its Transport Department in June 2023, and it removes bus fare entirely for women travelling within the state. The benefit covers ordinary and express services run by all five state road transport corporations — KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC, and KKRTC — so a woman can step onto any eligible government bus and ride at no cost. There is no enrolment, no separate pass, and no income test; instead of a paid ticket the conductor issues a zero-value ticket on board, which is how the state tracks and reimburses each free trip. More than 50 lakh women use this every day, making daily travel to work, college, hospitals, and markets far more affordable across Karnataka.
Shakti Scheme Karnataka — Quick Overview
| Scheme Name | ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ 2026 — ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೆ ಉಚಿತ ಬಸ್ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ | Shakti Scheme Karnataka Free Bus |
| State | Karnataka (कर्नाटक) |
| Launched By | Government of Karnataka |
| Launch Year | 2023 |
| Benefit | Completely free bus travel for all women in all Karnataka government buses — no registration needed |
| Category | Women |
| Beneficiaries | 50 lakh+ women travel free every day |
| Last Verified | 17 June 2026 |
| Official Portal | https://ksrtc.in |
शक्ति योजना कर्नाटक सरकार की जून 2023 में शुरू की गई गारंटी योजना है जो कर्नाटक की सभी महिलाओं को KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC और KKRTC सरकारी बसों में पूरी तरह मुफ्त यात्रा देती है। कोई टिकट नहीं, कोई पास नहीं, कोई रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं — महिला बस में बैठे और मुफ्त यात्रा करे। रोजाना 50 लाख+ महिलाएं इस योजना का लाभ लेती हैं।
कर्नाटक की सभी सरकारी बसों में महिलाओं को पूरी तरह मुफ्त यात्रा — कोई रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं
ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ 5 ಗ್ಯಾರಂಟಿ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು. ಜೂನ್ 2023 ರಿಂದ ಜಾರಿಗೆ ಬಂದ ಈ ಯೋಜನೆಯಡಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC ಮತ್ತು KKRTC ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಬಸ್ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಉಚಿತವಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸಬಹುದು. ಯಾವುದೇ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಅಥವಾ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಪ್ರತಿ ದಿನ 50 ಲಕ್ಷ+ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರು ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
📌 फायदा: ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಬಸ್ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹಿಳೆಯರಿಗೆ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣ ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ — ಯಾವುದೇ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಇಲ್ಲ
पात्रता:
ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಯಾಣಿಸುವ ಯಾವುದೇ ಮಹಿಳೆ ಈ ಸೌಲಭ್ಯ ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು. ವಯಸ್ಸಿನ ಮಿತಿ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಆದಾಯ ಮಿತಿ ಇಲ್ಲ. KSRTC / BMTC / NWKRTC / NEKRTC ಬಸ್ಗಳಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಅನ್ವಯ. Volvo AC ಬಸ್ಗಳಿಗೆ ಅನ್ವಯಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ.
अर्ज कसा करावा:
ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಅರ್ಜಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಯಾವುದೇ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಬಸ್ಗೆ ಹತ್ತಿ, ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ಗೆ ಉಚಿತ ಟಿಕೆಟ್ ಕೇಳಿ. ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ ₹0 ಮೌಲ್ಯದ ಟಿಕೆಟ್ ನೀಡುತ್ತಾರೆ. ksrtc.in ಅಥವಾ ksrtcbus.net ನಲ್ಲಿ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಮಾಹಿತಿ ಪಡೆಯಬಹುದು.
Benefits of Shakti Scheme Karnataka
✅ Completely free bus travel for all women in all Karnataka government buses — no registration needed
कर्नाटक की सभी सरकारी बसों में महिलाओं को पूरी तरह मुफ्त यात्रा — कोई रजिस्ट्रेशन नहीं
Who is Eligible for Shakti Scheme Karnataka?
- ✓ Any woman travelling in Karnataka — no age bar, no income limit
- ✓ No registration or application required
- ✓ Must board from any KSRTC / BMTC / NWKRTC / NEKRTC / KKRTC bus
- ✓ Valid for all routes — local, district, and express buses
- ✓ Not applicable on Volvo AC / Air-conditioned premium buses
Documents Required for Shakti Scheme Karnataka
How to Apply for Shakti Scheme Karnataka Online?
- 1ಶಕ್ತಿ ಯೋಜನೆಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ನೋಂದಣಿ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ
- 2ಯಾವುದೇ KSRTC / BMTC / NWKRTC / NEKRTC ಬಸ್ಗೆ ಹತ್ತಿ
- 3ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ಗೆ ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿಸಿ
- 4ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ ಉಚಿತ ಟಿಕೆಟ್ (ಶೂನ್ಯ ಮೊತ್ತದ) ನೀಡುತ್ತಾರೆ
- 5ಯಾವುದೇ ಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ, ಯಾವುದೇ ದಿನ ಉಚಿತ ಪ್ರಯಾಣ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು
Official Government Portal — Karnataka
Use ksrtc.in directly — there is no application fee, and no third party can speed up your approval.
🔗 Apply at ksrtc.inReal-Life Examples — Are You Eligible for Shakti Scheme Karnataka?
See which of these applicant profiles is closest to your case:
A college student in Mysuru taking a daily KSRTC bus to her campus
Eligible — Any woman travelling in Karnataka qualifies with no age bar and no income limit; she simply boards and collects the zero-value ticket from the conductor.
A woman from Maharashtra visiting relatives in Hubballi who boards an NWKRTC ordinary bus
Eligible — The scheme does not ask for Karnataka residency proof, so any woman travelling on an eligible state-run bus within Karnataka can ride free.
A woman commuting daily on a Volvo AC long-distance bus between Bengaluru and Mangaluru
Not eligible — Volvo and air-conditioned premium services are excluded; the free-travel benefit applies only to ordinary and express buses of KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC, and KKRTC.
Illustrative cases only — verify your own situation against the official criteria.
Common Mistakes — Why Shakti Scheme Karnataka Applications Get Rejected
- ✗Boarding a Volvo or AC premium service and expecting free travel, when only ordinary and express government buses are covered.
- ✗Not collecting the zero-value ticket from the conductor, which is the proof of the free trip and how the state records it.
- ✗Trying to use the benefit on a private operator's bus instead of one run by the five state road transport corporations.
- ✗Assuming an online registration or pass is needed and skipping a trip while waiting for paperwork that does not exist.
Insider Tips for Shakti Scheme Karnataka
- →Always ask the conductor for the zero-value ticket and keep it until you alight, in case of a checking squad on board.
- →Plan to use ordinary and express services rather than Volvo or AC buses if you want the trip to remain free.
- →Carry a basic photo ID for your own convenience even though the scheme does not formally require it.
- →For long routes, board state corporation buses (KSRTC/NWKRTC/NEKRTC/KKRTC) rather than private travels to make sure the free benefit applies.