Over 42% rise in female enrolment in higher education since 2014: report, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Total student enrolment in Indian higher education reached 4.5 crore in the 2023-24 academic year, marking a 31.5% rise since 2014-15.
• Female enrolment increased by 42.2% to 2.24 crore in 2023-24 from 1.57 crore in 2014-15.
• The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for 2023-24 stands at 1.08, consistently above 1.0 for seven consecutive years.
• India's Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for the 18-23 age bracket reached 30 in 2023-24, with the female GER at 31.2.
• Enrollment in STEM fields climbed to 1.02 crore in 2023-24, with the female share reaching 44%.

Detailed Insights:

• The data is based on the latest reports of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) for 2022-23 and 2023-24, released by the Education Ministry.
• The survey draws metrics from 59,533 higher education institutions across the country, reflecting an institutional participation rate of over 90%.
• The GPI consistently above 1.0 indicates that female participation systematically outpaces male participation in higher education.
• Enrollment for Scheduled Castes jumped 51.4% since 2014-15, reaching 69.72 lakh, with their GER growing from 18.9 to 27.8.
• Scheduled Tribes enrollment witnessed a 75.7% rise, climbing to 28.83 lakh, with their GER increasing from 13.5 to 22.8.
• Student numbers for Other Backward Classes grew 60.2%, from 1.13 crore to 1.80 crore over the past decade.
• The female share in STEM programmes increased steadily to 44% in 2023-24, up from 38.4% a decade ago.

Key Concepts Involved:

• All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE): An annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Education to collect comprehensive data on higher education institutions in India.
• Gender Parity Index (GPI): A socio-economic index used to measure the relative access to education for males and females, with a value of 1 indicating equal access.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): The total enrollment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the eligible official school-age population.
• STEM: An acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, representing a broad interdisciplinary field of study and career paths.