Lok Sabha Question No. 344 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Gross Enrolment Ratio for Higher Education at National Level
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Sanjeev Kumar Singari, Pocha Brahmananda Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-344

ANSWERED ON-05/02/2024

## GROSS ENROLMENT RATIO FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AT NATIONAL LEVEL

## 344. DR. SANJEEV KUMAR SINGARI: SHRI POCHA BRAHMANANDA REDDY:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the current Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for higher education at the national level, Statewise;
- (b) the gender-wise distribution of enrollment in higher education institutions;
- (c) the details regarding the availability of scholarships and financial assistance programmes to promote higher education accessibility; and
- (d) the measures and initiatives taken by the Government to increase GER and improve access to higher education particularly in underserved regions?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

- (a)  As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of Higher Education at the national level, for 2021-22 is 28.4 (based on population projections of 2011 Census). The details of the State/UT-wise GER,  is available at https://www.education.gov.in/parl\_ques .
- (b) As per AISHE 2021-22, the total Student Enrolment in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is 4.33 Crore, out of which Female Student Enrolment is 2.07 Crore and Male Student Enrolment is 2.26 Crore. The Female enrolment has increased to 2.07 Crore in 2021-22 from 1.57 Crore in 2014-15 i.e. (an increase of 32%).
- (c)  Government is implementing various Scholarships and Fellowships for providing financial assistance to students, including SC/ST/OBC and Minorities, details of which are available in the following websites:

|   Sl. No. | Ministry/Department                       | Website links                                                                         |
|-----------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Department of Higher Education            | https://www.education.gov.in/pm-usp- scholarships-education-loan                      |
|         2 | University Grants Commission              | https://frg.ugc.ac.in                                                                 |
|         3 | All India Council for Technical Education | https://www.aicte- india.org/bureaus/rifd/Scholarship-Schemes                         |
|         4 | Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment  | https://socialjustice.gov.in/scheme-cat                                               |
|         5 | Ministry of Tribal Affairs                | https://tribal.nic.in/ScholarshiP.aspx                                                |
|         6 | Ministry of Minority Affairs              | https://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/show_conten t.php?lang=1&level=2&ls_id=669&lid=825 |

Around  Rs.  99,000  Crore  has  been  released  by  various  Ministries  to  students  for Scholarships, Fellowships, Interest Subsidy etc., during the period 2014-15 to 2021-22.

(d)  Education  is  in  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  majority  of  the  Higher  Education Institutions are in the domain of the respective States. The States and Centre endeavour to uplift the educational status of the students of the country, especially the disadvantaged communities. Government has taken various measures to increase the GER in Higher Education, which interalia include: -

- i. Opening of more HEIs
- ii. Implementing  various  Scholarship  and  Fellowship  schemes  for  providing  financial assistance to students, including for SC/ST/OBC and Minority students and underserved regions.
- iii. Allowing well performing HEIs (based on NAAC and NIRF ranking) by University Grants Commission (UGC) to offer full Open Distance Learning/Online Programmes based on quality parameters.
- iv. Providing much-needed flexibility and appropriate Exit as well Re-entry options in the Higher Education system, to facilitate students to choose their learning trajectory.
- v. Providing anytime, anywhere learning opportunities for all learners through Study Webs for  Active  Learning  for  Young  Aspiring  Minds  (SWAYAM) platform, which provides high quality structured online courses in multiple disciplines.
- vi. Conducting JEE, NEET (UG) and Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Exams in 13 languages, to facilitate students and making available Text Books in Indian Languages to facilitate students, particularly from vernacular/rural background.

Initiative of the Government has resulted in increase of GER to 28.4 in 2021-22 from 23.7 in 2014-15. The SC GER has increased to 25.9 in 2021-22 from 18.9 in 2014-15 and ST GER has increased to 21.2 in 2021-22 from 13.5 in 2014-15.

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