Unexpected educational benefits of free bicycles in rural India

For decades, the bicycle has been more than just a mode of transportation; it has become a powerful tool for education and empowerment.

Nibha Kumari, hailing from Bihar, one of India's poorest states, reflects on how a bicycle revolutionised her life at age 15, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

For two years, she relied on a state-provided bicycle to travel two hours daily, six days a week, between home, school, and coaching classes.

Without that bicycle, Nibha, now 27, believes she might not have completed high school.

Originally from Begusarai district, Nibha had been sent to live with her aunt 10 kilometres away to attend primary school due to mobility issues and unreliable public transport. Upon returning home for high school, the bicycle became her crucial means of navigating the challenging village roads to continue her education.

According to Bhuvaneshwari Kumari, a health worker in Begusarai, the introduction of bicycles has significantly boosted girls' confidence and school attendance. “Many girls now go to school and coaching classes thanks to the bicycles, which are often provided for free.”

Supporting this, a recent peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Transport Geography highlights a dramatic increase in rural girls using bicycles. Conducted by Srishti Agrawal, Adit Seth, and Rahul Goel, the study notes that cycling among rural girls in India more than doubled from 4.5 per cent in 2007 to 11 per cent in 2017, effectively narrowing the gender gap in this activity.

“This is a silent revolution,” says Ms. Agrawal. “We term it a revolution because it represents a significant increase in cycling among girls in a country with high gender inequality, particularly concerning female mobility and cycling.”

Since 2004, state-run programs distributing free bicycles have focused on girls, who previously had higher dropout rates due to household responsibilities and long, tiring walks. This initiative is not exclusive to India; similar programmes in countries such as Colombia, Kenya, Malawi, and Zimbabwe have also shown that bicycles can significantly improve girls' school enrollment and retention. However, the scale of this initiative in India is unparalleled.

The researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai analyzed data on transportation modes for children aged 5-17 from a nationwide education survey. They assessed the impact of state-run bicycle schemes on cycling rates and their effectiveness.

Their findings reveal that the percentage of all students cycling to school increased from 6.6 per cent in 2007 to 11.2 per cent in 2017. Notably, cycling rates in rural areas doubled over the decade, while urban rates remained constant. In cities, cycling to school is limited due to unsafe roads and heavy traffic.

The study highlights that India’s cycling revolution is most pronounced in rural areas, with states like Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Chhattisgarh showing the most growth. These states have populations comparable to some large European countries, and cycling is more common for longer distances in rural regions compared to urban areas.

India began documenting cycling habits for the first time in the 2011 Census, revealing that only 20 per cent of those commuting to work used cycling as their primary mode of transportation. Notably, rural areas had a higher cycling rate (21 per cent) compared to urban areas (17 per cent). Additionally, a larger proportion of working men (21.7 per cent) cycled to work compared to women (4.7 per cent). According to Ms. Agrawal, this disparity is among the highest globally.

American suffragist Susan B. Anthony once remarked that the bicycle "has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world," citing its role in fostering freedom and self-reliance for women.

Researchers speculate that women may cycle less as they age, possibly due to declining job opportunities and workforce dropout. For instance, Nibha Kumari, who cycled extensively during her school years, stopped cycling after marriage and moving to her in-laws' home. While she continues to commute as she trains to become a teacher, she no longer feels the need for a bicycle.