Lok Sabha Question No. 85 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-18
Subject: Higher Education
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Andimuthu Raja

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 85 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.11.2019

## Higher Education

85. SHRI A. RAJA:

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

(a) the details of the number of girls enrolled for higher education especially from rural areas and backward classes within the country, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;

(b) whether it has increased during the last few years, if not, the reasons therefor;

- (c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard;

(d) the action taken/being taken by the Government for maximum coverage of rural areas and backward classes and to encourage them for higher education;

(e) the details of the facilities being provided by the Government for rural areas girls including backward classes in this regard; and

(f)  whether  all  their  reserved  seats  are  filled  every  year  or  remain  vacant,  if  so,  the  details thereof, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and the reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government against their vacant seats?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (f): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has informed that girls enrolment in higher education has increased from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

The Government has taken various steps for improving the enrolment of girls in higher education  such  as    providing  grants  for  construction  of  Women's  Hostel  in  Universities  and Colleges,  establishment  of  Women's  Studies  Centres,  implementation  of  Single  Girl  Child Scholarship,  construction/renovation of  women toilets  and  also providing  grants  for benefit  of weaker section of the society through programme like 'activities related to women empowerment'  under  General  Development  Assistance  scheme.  The  All  India  Council  for

Technical  Education  (AICTE)  is  also  implementing  Pragati  Scholarship  for  girls  in  AICTE approved technical institutions for Diploma /Under Graduate level program. The total number of scholarship given is 4000 per annum (2000 for Degree and 2000 for Diploma). In the scheme two girls child per family are eligible, who's family income is not more than 8 lakh per annum during  the  preceding  financial  year.  The  year-wise  details  of  the  beneficiaries  of  the  Pragati Scholarship are available at https://www.aicte-india.org/schemes/students-developmentschemes.

Further, UGC issues instructions from time to time to all Universities to implement the reservation  policy  for  SC/ST/OBC,  EWS  and  Persons  with  Disabilities  in  teaching  and  nonteaching posts as well as admission to all level courses. There is no specific reservation for girl students.  However,  the  Government  is  keen  to  increase  the  female  enrolment  in  Higher Education. Accordingly, a provision has been made to increase female enrolment in IITs from 8% in 2017-18 to 20% in 2020-21 by creating supernumerary seats. Government is pleased to inform that for the first time the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of female has exceeded the GER for male during the year 2018-19. The Gender Parity Index for 2018-19 is now 1.00.

A State-wise list of details of girls enrolment of Other Backward Classes (OBC) category from 2016-17 to 2018-19 is at Annexure.

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