Union Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar on January 5 released the 8th All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report for the year 2016-17 and said there is an increase in overall enrolment in higher education.
“There is an increase in overall enrolment from 27.5 million in 2010-11 to 35.7 million in 2016-17 and improvement in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) which is a ratio of enrolment in higher education to population in the eligible age group (18-23) years, from 19.4% in 2010-11 to 25.2 in 2016-17 which is a significant achievement,” he said.
While releasing the report, he expressed the hope that the GER ratio of 30% would be achieved by the year 2022.
According to AISHE Survey, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest GER in the country at 46.9%, while Bihar recorded the least at 14.9%.
The Scheduled Castes showed a GER increase to 21.1% from 19.9% in 2015-16, while the Scheduled Tribes recorded 15.4% GER, up from 14.2% in 2015-16, the Survery reported.
Saying that Gender Parity Index (GPI) has improved from 0.86 to 0.94, the minister said a supernumerary quota in IITs will be increased to promote girls’ education.
“The Gender Parity Index (GPI), a ratio of proportional representation of female and male, has improved from 0.86 to 0.94 to the corresponding period,” he said, adding, “To give a further boost to girl students, a supernumerary quota in IITs will be increased.”
Javadekar informed that the number of institutions of higher education listed on AISHE portal has also increased significantly – from 621 universities in 2010-11 to 864 in 2016-17 and from 32,974 colleges in 2010-11 to 40,026 colleges in 2016-17.
The Survey report also indicated that there is a marginal increase in the enrollment of Muslim students in higher education institutions to 4.90% in 2016-17, from 4.15% in 2012-13.
The admissions from other minority communities such as Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians have also gone up to 2.20% from 1.87% in 2012-13, the report stated.
According to reports, the AISHE Survey was initiated in 2011 to prepare a robust data-base on higher education.
