Lok Sabha Question No. 169 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-21
Subject: Establishment of Universities, Colleges and Institutions
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Rajesh Verma, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-169

ANSWERED ON-21/07/2025

## ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND INSTITUTIONS

169. Smt. Shambhavi:

Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske:

Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde:

Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar:

Shri Rajesh Verma:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of number of Universities, Colleges and Standalone Institutions established across the country during the last five years and the current year, State and year-wise;
- (b) the details of number of Higher Education Institutions established in Aspirational Districts or EWS Zones during the last five years and the current year with their Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER), State, district and year-wise;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to access to Higher Education through establishment of new Universities, Colleges and Institutes across the country;
- (d) the details of the initiatives taken to ensure the increase in number of Institutions accompanied by improvements in academic quality, infrastructure and faculty recruitment;
- (e) whether the Government is planning to convert existing affiliated colleges into Autonomous Degree-Granting Institutions under the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) framework; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

- (a): The cumulative number of Universities, Colleges and Standalone Institutions registered with All  India  Survey  on  Higher  Education  (AISHE),  as  per  AISHE  2018-19  and  AISHE  2022-23 (provisional) in India are as follows:

| Type of institution         | Number of Institutions   | Number of Institutions   |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
|                             | 2018-19                  | 2022-23 (provisional)    |
| University/University Level | 993                      | 1213                     |
| Colleges                    | 39931                    | 46624                    |
| Standalone Institutions     | 10725                    | 12543                    |
| Total                       | 51649                    | 60380                    |

The State-wise number of Universities, Colleges and Standalone Institutions registered with AISHE for years 2018-19 and 2022-23, is given at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques

- (b): The number of Higher Education Institutions registered in  AISHE  as  per AISHE 202223(provisional) in 112 Aspirational Districts are 4502. The Aspirational District wise number of Higher Education Institutions is at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of the States having Aspirational Districts as per AISHE for years 2018-19 and 2022-23(provisional) is at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl\_ques

- (c): The Ministry of Education has launched the third phase of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) as Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) in June 2023 with an outlay of Rs. 12926.10 crore for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 to cater to needs of educationally unserved/underserved areas. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at funding specific State government universities and colleges, so as to improve their quality by ensuring their conformity to prescribed norms and standards. Under PM-USHA, priority is given to Focus Districts. The focus districts are identified by the concerned States/ UTs based on various criteria including low Gross Enrolment  Ratio  (GER),  Gender  Parity,  population  proportion  and  enrolment  proportion  for females,  transgenders,  Scheduled  Castes,  Scheduled  Tribes,  and  Other  Backward  Classes, Aspirational/ Border Area/ Left Wing Extremism prone district, etc.
- (d): Government has taken various measures to increase the access to Higher Education, which inter-alia include: -
- i. 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. Similarly, number of colleges registered under AISHE have increased to 46624 in 2022-23 (Provisional) from 38498 in 2014-15.
- 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. Allow pursuing two Academic Programmes simultaneously.
- vi. Permitting HEIs for two admission cycles in an academic year.
- vii. 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.
- viii. Permitting up to 40% credits in regular courses using SWAYAM platform.
- ix. 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.

Setting  up  of  higher  education  institutions  is  an  ongoing  process.  Depending  on  the  need, educational institutions are opened from time to time. The Central Higher Education Institutions/Universities are envisaged as pace setting institutions to provide academic leadership to other institutions in the region.

Education  is  in  the  Concurrent  List  of  the  Constitution  and  the  majority  of  Higher  Education Institutions are in the domain of the respective States/UTs. The States/UTs and Centre endeavor to uplift the educational status of the students of the country.

(e)  & (f): The NEP 2020 envisions that the new regulatory system envisioned by the Policy will foster the overall culture of empowerment and autonomy to innovate, including by gradually phasing out the system of 'affiliated colleges' over a period of fifteen years through a system of graded autonomy, and to be carried out in a challenge mode. Each existing affiliating university will be responsible for mentoring its affiliated colleges so that they can develop their capabilities and achieve minimum benchmarks in academic and curricular matters; teaching and assessment; governance  reforms;  financial  robustness;  and  administrative  efficiency.  All  colleges  currently affiliated to a university shall attain the required benchmarks over time to secure the prescribed accreditation benchmarks and eventually become autonomous degree-granting colleges. This will be achieved through a concerted national effort  including suitable mentoring and  governmental support for the same.

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