Lok Sabha Question No. 3396 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri T R Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3396 ANSWERED ON-16/12/2024

## GROSS ENROLMENT RATIO IN HIGHER EDUCATION

3396. Shri T R Baalu:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether several States are unable to achieve even 20 per cent of the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education and the GER for girls is also worse in these States;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the reasons for very poor GER in higher education even after 77 years of Independence; and
- (d) the corrective steps/action being taken by the Government to improve the situation?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR )

(a) to (d) As per AISHE 2022-23(provisional), National Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) is 29.5. There are only four States with GER of less than 20. The State-wise total and female GER, is available at https://www.education.gov.in/parl\_ques .

Education  being  in  the  Concurrent  List,  enhancing  the  quality  of  education  is  the responsibility  of  both  the  Central  and  State  Governments.  Various  schemes/  projects/ programmes run by the Ministry have been aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. NEP 2020 aims to ensure that no child loses opportunity to learn and excel because of the circumstances of birth or background. This policy aims at bridging the social category gaps in access, participation, and learning outcomes, including providing greater access to women. The Central Government has taken various measures to promote higher education among the students across the nation including women, such as fee reductions, establishment of more institutes, scholarships, priority access to national level scholarships to aid students with poor financial backgrounds to pursue their education.

Government  is  implementing  various  Scholarships  and  Fellowships  for  providing financial assistance to students of 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/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_content.php?lang=1 &level=2&ls_id=669&lid=825 |

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. As  per  the  reservation  policy  of  Government  of  India,  the  Central  Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 was notified in January, 2007, wherein it has been stipulated that 15% of seats are reserved for SC students, 7.5% for ST students, and 27% seats for OBC students in admission in Central Educational Institutions. Instructions have also been issued to the Higher Educational Institutions to ensure that reservation-related provisions of the Act passed by Parliament are implemented by all educational institutions in letter and spirit.
- ii. Opening  of  more  HEIs:-  The  number  of  Universities/University  level  Institutions registered under AISHE have increased to 1213 in 2022-23 (Provisional) from 760 in 2014-15 and number of Colleges have increased to 46,624 in 2022-23 (Provisional) from 38,498 in 2014-15.
- iii. Implementing  various  Scholarship  and  Fellowship  schemes  for  providing  financial assistance  to  students,  including  for  SC/ST/OBC  and  Minority  students  and  underserved regions.
- iv. 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.
- v. 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.
- vi. 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.
- vii. 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.

As per National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, aims at increasing the higher education GER to 50% by 2035.  Initiatives of the Government has resulted in increase of GER to 29.5 in 2022-23 (Provisional) from 23.7 in 2014-15.

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