Lok Sabha Question No. 734 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-21
Subject: Gender disparity in Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: J. JAYASINGH THIYAGARAJ NATTERJEE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 734 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.11.2016

## Gender disparity in Education

## 734. SHRI J.J.T. NATTERJEE:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the educational sector in the country is facing massive gender issues;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the present educational system in the country is continuing traditional kind of gender;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(e) whether there are many hurdles in education of under-privileged sections of society like women, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and minorities currently; and

(f) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (DR. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) and (b) : The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for boys and girls at secondary level for 2015-16 is 79.16 and 80.97 respectively. The GER for boys and girls at higher secondary stage for 2015-16 is 55.95 and 56.41 respectively. As per All India Survey on Higher Education (2014-15), the GER in Higher Education in India is  24.3  and  female  GER  is  23.2.  This  shows  that  there  is  no  massive  gender  gap  in  education  at  the secondary, higher secondary and higher education levels.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) had conducted gender audit in the year 2014-15 and 2015-16 and found that there are certain gender issues including cases of sexual harassment inside the educational institutions.  The  UGC  has  taken  various  steps  to  address  the  issue  of  sexual  harassment  in  institutions of  higher  learning.  Directions  have  been  issued  by  UGC  to  all  universities  to  establish  a  Cell  to monitor and deal with sexual harassment cases. The institutions of higher learning have been advised to hold conferences,  seminars,  workshops  to  sensitize  the  management  and  teachers  and  students  about  the  issue. UGC  has  further  reiterated  its  policy  of  zero  tolerance  with  regard  to  harassment  of  any  kind  in  the institutions  of  higher  education  and  notified  UGC  (Prevention,  prohibition  and  redressal  of  sexual harassment of women employees and students in higher educational institutions) Regulations, 2015.

The  Ministry  of  Human  Resource  Development  (MHRD)  has  also  written  to  Centrally  Funded Higher Education Institutions (CFHEIs) for formation of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to address the complaints of the students and women employees.

(c) to (f) :  Gender sensitization is a continuous process and the MHRD has been addressing it on priority. The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 prioritizes gender as an important guiding principle in all curricular areas and stipulates that gender be an integral part of all disciplines offered to children at school stage.  Gender  concerns  have  been  integrated  in  the  curriculum  and  textbooks  drawn  up  by  the  National Council of Education Research & Training (NCERT) which are widely used by the schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and also in several State Governments.

Government  has  taken  several  measures  to  increase  the  enrollment  of  Scheduled  Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes in higher education. The UGC is implementing several schemes/ scholarships/ measures for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer), Minorities Community students and  women  through  special  coaching  schemes,  remedial  coaching,  coaching  for  National  eligibility Test  (NET)  /  State  Eligibility  Test  (SET),  coaching  classes  for  entry  in  services,  Equal  Opportunity Cells  in  Universities/Colleges,  construction  of  women  hostels,  the  capacity  building  of  women managers in higher education scheme, the Indira Gandhi post graduate scholarship scheme for single girl child and a fellowship for single girl child for taking up research in science departments. The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has launched the Scholarship scheme for girl child (PRAGATI) to provide assistance for advancement of girls participation in Technical Education. Bridging gender and social category gaps in elementary education is one of the major goals of Sarva Shiksha  Abhiyan  (SSA).  Consequently,  SSA  attempts  to  reach  out  to  girls  and  children  belonging  to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), notified Minority communities. SSA has also given attention to  urban  deprived  children,  children  affected  by  periodic  migration,  and  children  living  in  remote  and scattered habitations. The Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abihiyan (RMSA) scheme envisages enhancing the enrolment for classes IX-X by providing a secondary school within a reasonable distance of every habitation, improving quality of education imparted at secondary level through making all secondary schools conform to prescribed norms, removal of gender, social-economic and disability barriers. RMSA further takes steps for improving enrolment and reducing dropout of girls which includes provision of learning enhancement programme for weak students, enrolment and retention drives, guidance and counseling programmes, self-defence training for girl students, provision of separate toilets for girls, residential quarters for female teachers in remotely located  area,  etc. National  scheme  of  incentive  to  girls  for  Secondary  Education  provides  Rs.  3000 which is deposited in the name of eligible unmarried girls below 16 years and entitled to withdraw it along with interest on reaching 18 years of age and after passing class X. Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched a scheme 'Udaan' to provide free online resources to girl student of class XI and XII for preparation of admission test for the premier engineering colleges in the country The  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  and  Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  also  have scholarship  schemes  for  SC/ST  students  like  Post-Matric  scholarship  for  SC/ST  students,  Central Sector  Scholarship  Scheme  of  Top  class  Education  for  SC/ST  students  and  National  Overseas Scholarship for SC/ST students. The Ministry of Social Justice has taken several measures to increase the enrollment of OBC Students  such  as  Pre-Matric  Scholarship  to  the  OBCs,  Post-Matric  Scholarship  to  the  OBCs, Construction of Hostel for OBC boys and girls, assistance to Voluntary Organizations for the Welfare of OBCs, National Fellowship for OBCs, Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educationally Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) and Dr. Ambedkar Scheme of Post-Matric Scholarship for EBC Students.

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