• Pink Card offers free bus travel for women in Delhi
• Eligible families get two free LPG cylinders each year
• Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana: Rs 1 lakh for girls by age 21

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In a significant push for women's empowerment and social welfare, President Droupadi Murmu is set to launch a suite of three ambitious schemes for the residents of Delhi on Monday.

Headlining the rollout is the ‘Pink National Common Mobility Card’ (NCMC), a technological upgrade aimed at streamlining free bus travel for women while integrating them into a unified payment system for the capital's public transport network.

The launch will take place at the ‘Sashakt Nari, Samriddh Delhi’ (Empowered Women, Prosperous Delhi) programme at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, an event organised by the city government’s Department of Women and Child Development.

What exactly is the Pink National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)?

The Pink NCMC is a smart card designed to replace the existing paper-based pink tickets that women currently use for free travel on Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses. It represents a move toward a more digital, seamless and transparent system.

Officials stated that the card will serve a dual purpose. Primarily, it will allow eligible women residents of Delhi to travel free of cost on all DTC and cluster buses. Beyond this, it functions as a standard National Common Mobility Card, meaning it can be used for paid journeys on other modes of transport, including the Delhi Metro, the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) and other public services. This effectively creates a single-card solution for navigating the city’s multi-modal public transport network.

Who can get the Pink Card and how will it work?

The scheme is targeted at women who are residents of Delhi. In the first phase, the government will roll out two types of cards: the Pink Card for eligible women (enabling free bus travel) and a Blue Card for general commuters. An Orange Card for monthly pass users will be introduced later.

To ensure the benefits reach the intended beneficiaries, each Pink Card will be linked to the woman's Aadhaar number and registered mobile number. This will be used to verify her age, gender and Delhi residency. The Delhi Transport Corporation has authorised Hindon Mercantile Limited (MufinPay) and Airtel Payments Bank Limited to issue the cards.

The physical card itself will be provided free of cost, with the financial outlay borne entirely by the Delhi government. To make the process accessible, around 50 issuance centres are being set up across the city. These will be located at District Magistrate and Sub-Divisional Magistrate offices, as well as selected DTC bus depots.

The government has emphasised that the process will require minimal documentation to ensure it is simple and transparent. Beyond the convenience for users, the switch to a digital card is expected to provide the government with accurate, real-time data on travel patterns and improve revenue accounting by eliminating paper-based ticketing.

What are the other two major schemes being launched?

Alongside the Pink Card, President Murmu will formally inaugurate two other key welfare initiatives:

1. Free LPG Cylinders for ration card holders

Under this scheme, the government will provide two free LPG cylinders annually to all families in Delhi that possess a ration card. The cylinders are intended to be distributed around the major festivals of Holi and Diwali, providing direct financial relief to households.

2. The Delhi Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana

This is an expanded and restructured version of the previous Ladli scheme. It is a cash transfer programme designed to financially empower the girl child. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s flagship scheme will see a total of Rs 56,000 deposited in stages in the name of a girl child from a beneficiary family. With accrued interest over the years, the amount is expected to grow to over Rs 1 lakh by the time she turns 21, making her a 'Lakhpati' (one with a hundred thousand rupees).

The scheme is available to families who have resided in Delhi for at least three years and have an annual income of up to Rs 1.20 lakh. Benefits are restricted to a maximum of two girl children per family and the disbursement will be linked to the girl's birth and her meeting specified educational milestones, incentivising both her birth and her continued education.