Patna: The 77th Republic Day celebrations at Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan offered a quietly powerful image of social change when Ragini Kumari, a young woman from the Musahar community, drove a Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) pink bus as part of the ceremonial parade.
For many spectators, the sight went beyond the pageantry of the occasion. Ragini’s presence at the steering wheel was seen as a statement on women’s empowerment and the possibilities opening up for those from marginalised and Mahadalit communities. Officials described the tableau as a reflection of changing social realities rather than a symbolic gesture alone.
BSRTC currently operates 100 pink buses across Bihar, intended to provide safer and more accessible public transport for women. At present, these buses are driven by men with women employed as co-drivers. The corporation has announced plans to move towards an all-women crew model, with both drivers and co-drivers being female.
As part of this initiative, 19 women are undergoing driver training and are expected to take charge of pink buses in Patna after completing a month-long programme.
Ragini, who lives in Nadwa in Patna district, is the first graduate in her family. Her father, Ajay Kumar Manjhi, works as a community worker, while her mother, Soni Devi, and grandmother, Yashoda Devi, encouraged her to pursue professional training. She enrolled at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) in Aurangabad in August 2025, completed her course in September, and received her heavy motor vehicle licence from the Patna district transport office in December.
During her training, she studied road safety, the Motor Vehicles Act and technical aspects of heavy vehicle operation. She had already held a light motor vehicle licence and has also trained in music and yoga, which she says helped build her confidence.
In the days leading up to the parade, Ragini and five other women drivers practised for over a week at the BSRTC bus depot near Gandhi Maidan. They were accompanied by Baby Kumari, a student of Punpun College and a resident of Dehri village in Patna district, who also trained at IDTR Aurangabad and obtained her heavy vehicle licence last month.
For many watching the Republic Day parade, the pink bus tableau stood out not for its decoration but for what it represented: a glimpse of expanding opportunities, and a message that with training, support and determination, traditional barriers can be challenged.
