Lok Sabha Question No. 27 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-01
Subject: Increasing GER in Higher Education
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Rao Rajendra Singh, Shri Raja Ram Singh

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 27 ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025

## Increasing GER in Higher Education

## 27. Shri Raja Ram Singh:

Shri Rao Rajendra Singh:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a)  the  manner  in  which  the  Government  plan  to  increase  Gross  Enrolment  Ratio  in  higher education  to  50  per  cent  by  the  year  2035,  with  provisions  for  promotion  of  Indian  languages other than Hindi and Sanskrit;

(b) whether it is true that Lalit Narayan Mithila University is the only institution offering distance education in the Maithili language, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is also true that the university face admission restrictions during the last four years due to dual standards in UGC Regulations, 2020;

(d) if so, whether this reflect a policy contradiction and if so, the details thereof;

(e) the number of applications received regarding this issue along with the actions taken by the Government and UGC in this regard; and

(f) the impact of such policy on enrolment in backward regions along with the steps taken by the Government to resolve this?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a): As per National Education Policy 2020, the Government has planned to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education from 26.3% to 50% by 2035. Number of Higher Education  Institutions  (HEIs)  have  increased  from  51,649 in  2018-19  to  58,643  in  2022-23 (provisional). Number of students have increased from 37.4 million in 2018-19 to 44.6 million in 2022-23 (provisional). Number of HEIs offering online education has gone up from 7 in 2020 to 123  in  2025.  Further,  steps  to  improve  the  GER  in  India  include  expanding  infrastructure  by building new institutions and upgrading the existing ones, increasing financial supports through scholarship  and  funding  and  leveraging  technologies  by  promoting  online  platforms  like Swayam (Study Webs of Active-Learning  for  Young  Aspiring  Minds)  and  NPTEL  (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning).

(b): Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Bihar is a state university. The university was recognized to  offer  the  MA  (Maithili)  programme  from  the  academic  year  2018-19  to  2019-20.  Further,

Nalanda  Open  University,  Bihar  was  also  recognized  to  offer  the  MA  (Maithili)  programme from the academic year 2016-17.

(c) & (d): No recognition has been granted by the UGC (University Grants Commission) to Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Bihar after January, 2020 as the HEI was not fulfilling the minimum requirement  for  eligibility  criteria  as  per  the  UGC  ODL  (Open  and  Distance  Learning) Programmes and Online Programmes Regulations, 2020.

(e) & (f): UGC is inviting application from the eligible HEIs for two academic sessions i.e. July and  January  every  year.  Further,  under  UGC  (ODL  Programmes  and  Online  Programmes) Regulations,  2020,  change  in  eligibility  criteria  was  done  to  widen  the  number  of  Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) eligible to offer ODL/Online programmes.  Each application of the HEIs is assessed by the multiple Expert Committees and get opportunities for redressal by Appeal Committee.

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