Society · 18 Jul 2026

Priyadarshini scheme induced demand

Which one of the following best explains why the rise in women's ridership under Kerala's Priyadarshini free travel scheme is described as an example of "induced demand" rather than a mere shift among existing riders?

AMale ridership on the same routes declined proportionately as women switched to free travel
BMale ridership remained largely unchanged even as women's ridership rose sharply, indicating genuinely new trips rather than redistributed ones
CThe scheme was funded entirely through a new cess rather than the general state budget
DTotal KSRTC revenue increased despite the fare being waived for women passengers
This question is based on: The KSRTC Is Losing More Money - And That Loss Is the Point
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About this question

Why in news

Kerala's Priyadarshini free travel scheme for women lifted average daily women's ridership on KSRTC Ordinary buses by 87%, from 6.48 lakh to 12.12 lakh, prompting the Transport Minister to describe the rise as "induced demand."

Why for UPSC

UPSC often tests whether a candidate can distinguish the underlying economic mechanism (induced demand vs substitution) behind a welfare scheme, not just the headline statistic - a distinction with clear GS1/GS3 relevance to gender-responsive infrastructure design.

Prelims summary

Induced demand means new supply (free travel) creates entirely new demand rather than merely redistributing existing demand. Flat male ridership alongside a sharp rise in women's ridership is the key evidence for this in Kerala's Priyadarshini scheme.

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