Bicycle, an environment friendly two-wheeler is regaining its glorious past. Once considered as poor man’s vehicle, has now become a boon for those who want to get rid of the smoke emitting vehicles.

Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) has gone a step ahead by providing bicycles to its first year students, who are instilled with awareness regarding environment alongwith their technical education at the beginning itself.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, MIT Joint Director Prof Dr P K A Muniswaran said “the main purpose behind this idea is to make green campus free from pollution.”

He said other reason behind distributing the bicycles is to avoid accidents and to develop a conducive atmosphere for studying, which is noise free.

In another four years all the students will be provided with bicycles. MIT is the first institution in India to ban two-wheelers and four-wheelers in the campus, he informed. The brain behind this novel idea of introducing bicycles to the students is MIT Associate Director Prof Chandrakar Kamath. He thanked the students for their co-operation. This is the step which was taken with the consent of the students, he informed. 

However, students are not allowed to take bicycles outside the prescribed area and the students should return the bicycle once they complete their course.

 This innovative idea will also provide good physical exercise to the students along with awareness education.
Quite interestingly, the bicycles are given a particular number as all the bicycles look alike.

Manjushri G Naik