This Republic Day, 6 women from Bihar will drive into history. Here are their stories

Inside the Parivahan Parisar in Patna, Anita smoothly manoeuvres the CNG bus through rows of parked vehicles. She and the others have been rehearsing for the Republic Day parade for several days, driving the bus through the transport department complex and the adjacent road outside.

After her turn, Anita carefully pulls over to the left and steps down, making way for Baby Kumari to take the steering wheel. Baby shifts into reverse and guides the bus back toward the complex with precision. From the opposite lane, a small car marked with a red ‘L’, signifying a learner driver, approaches. A young woman behind the wheel and an elderly woman in the passenger seat both stare at the pink bus, then glance again at its driver, before exchanging a few words as their car passes the much larger vehicle.

“People often point to my height and judge my abilities based on it,” says Baby, who stands just under five feet tall. “Earlier, it used to bother me, but now I don’t let those voices shake my confidence. I can drive vehicles like trucks — something people twice my height wouldn’t even dare to think of.”

Anita

Baby mentions that she “never learned how to ride a bicycle”, as she effortlessly navigates the bus around the premises, making a sharp right turn, then a left, and then a U-turn.

All six women received their Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) licences in 2023 and their Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) licences in 2024. They also attended a two-week training programme and are set to become the first women drivers in BSRTC.

The Pink Bus service, catering only to women passengers, became operational in Bihar in phases starting May 2025. While the BSRTC hired several women conductors for the buses, the vehicles are still driven by men.

Training programme

Currently, there are around 100 Pink Buses in different cities of the state. To bring women drivers into the fold, the Transport Department decided to offer free, structured training to eligible candidates.

As per officials, women in the 21-40 age group are eligible to apply for the training programme, and applicants must either hold a valid HMV driving licence or an LMV licence that is at least three years old and be willing to undergo HMV training.

The formal application process opened in December 2025, and the first batch of trainees began the two-week residential training programme in January 2026, conducted at the Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) in Aurangabad, with additional training support facilities in Patna. The programme includes heavy vehicle handling, using simulators and real buses, technical instruction on engine operation, routine maintenance, and basic repairs, as well as soft-skill modules focused on road safety, confidence building, and leadership.

During the training period, the Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) provides accommodation and meals to all participants.

Candidates who complete the programme will be appointed on a contractual basis to operate the Pink Buses. The six young women are the first batch to undergo training. In total, there are 13 women drivers training to take the wheel of Pink Buses in the coming months.

Helping hand

The six women said they received help with the application process from “Sudha Didi”.

“Sudha Didi helped us get our licences and informed us about the recruitment of women drivers for the Pink Bus service. She encouraged us to enrol for the training programme,” Anita says.

She was referring to Sudha Varghese, a former nun and social worker who has dedicated her life to working with the Musahar community. All six drivers belong to the same community and have long been associated with Varghese’s NGO, Nari Gunjan.

The NGO helped them enrol in driving training at IDTR in Aurangabad under the Mukhyamantri Nari Shakti Yojana — a Bihar government initiative aimed at skill development for girls and women from families earning less than Rs 60,000 annually or living below the poverty line.

“Didi told us that if we get a driving licence, we could drive an auto or a cab and at least manage to cover our personal and education expenses,” Baby recalls.

Varghese explains, “When these girls passed their class 12 exams, I knew they needed skill training. I realised that without a steady source of income, they would remain stuck in poverty… So, I decided to teach them how to drive a four-wheeler. When I spoke to them about it, they were hesitant at first, saying they weren’t sure how they could do it. But I assured them, ‘Don’t worry about how you’ll do it. We’ll send you to Aurangabad for professional training. You’ll receive proper instruction, and once you’re trained, you’ll get your driving licence.’”

She says the families of the women initially had concerns, but later stood with them. “We often sensitise the families that the girls should not be married off immediately after finishing their schooling. Instead, we encouraged them to focus on building their careers, and the families cooperated with us,” Varghese says.

Baby, who is the first graduate from her family after having done a Political Science degree from SMD College in Punpun, says her 27-year-old elder brother works as a daily wage labourer in a sound system shop, while her younger brother and father also depend on manual labour.

“Money matters. It will help me support my family and myself,” she says. “But this training gave me something bigger — confidence.”

Her story mirrors that of her fellow trainees, all of whom come from economically marginalised households dependent on daily wage work.

For Saraswati Kumari, joining the programme was not easy. Married last May, she had to persuade her in-laws to let her train as a bus driver. “They were worried about what society would say,” she explains. “They were afraid people would laugh at us.”

She said Verghese helped convince her husband to let her take this path. Saraswati lives with her in-laws and her 22-year-old husband, Deepak Kumar, a labourer at a decorator’s shop, who all now support her in her endeavour.

“When my husband’s friends ask about me, he proudly tells them I’m training to drive a Pink Bus,” she says.

Aarti Kumari, who has a degree in Geography, says her family has always supported her ambitions. “There were no restrictions from my parents. They never stopped me from doing something constructive,” she says.

The eldest of three sisters, Aarti’s father is the sole earning member of the family, working as a labourer, while her mother is a homemaker.

“Being part of the Republic Day parade feels incredible. What could be better than this,” she says, adding, “Coming from our background, we never imagined we would stand before the Governor or even get to attend the Republic Day celebrations at Gandhi Maidan. This time, people will come to watch us.”

Gayatri Kumari, a BSc Psychology (Honours) graduate, says reactions from society have been mixed.

“When people hear that I’ll be driving a bus and will be part of the Republic Day parade in front of the Governor and senior officials, they often taunt my family in disbelief, asking, ‘How did a labourer’s daughter reach this level’,” she says.