As the Karnataka government has begun issuing free bus passes to students under its newly announced free travel scheme, a few students across the State have reported difficulties in completing their applications due to technical issues on the Seva Sindhu portal.

After assuming office as Chief Minister on June 3, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced a free bus travel scheme for students studying across Karnataka. The initiative is aimed at reducing transportation costs for students and expanding access to education. Subsequently, on June 12, the State Transport Department issued detailed guidelines for the distribution of free bus passes.

However, the online application process has been marred by technical glitches, with students complaining that the Seva Sindhu portal has not been functioning properly for the past few days.

Many applicants have reported that they are unable to complete the registration process as the portal is failing to send One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to their registered mobile numbers.

Vignesh A.S., a student from Koppal district, said he had repeatedly attempted to register but was unsuccessful. “The portal is not sending OTPs to my mobile number. I have tried several times over the past few days, but the issue remains unresolved. While some students are able to register, many others like me are unable to complete the process,” he said.

Students have also reported problems while entering travel details required for the pass application. Jagan N., a student from Rajajinagar in Bengaluru, said the portal was displaying incorrect boarding and destination points during registration. “When I tried applying through the Seva Sindhu portal, it was not showing the correct boarding and dropping points. Because of this, I was unable to complete my application properly,” he said.

With schools and colleges having already reopened for the academic year, students who have not yet received their passes are being forced to pay regular bus fares for their daily commute. “Normally, we would obtain our bus pass and travel at concessional rates. This year, we are still waiting for the pass to be processed through the portal. Since we have not received it yet, we are paying the full fare every day, which has become difficult for many students,” Jagan added.

The Transport Department officials, however, said they had not received widespread complaints regarding the issue. They said that if technical glitches were occurring, they could be isolated cases related to the portal.

The officials clarified that students who have already purchased bus passes for the current academic year can continue using them. The government has announced that the amount paid for such passes would be refunded within 15 days. According to official data, 19,792 students who purchased bus passes by paying the prescribed fee are currently eligible for reimbursement.