Enrolment in higher education crosses 40 mn-mark for first time in country

The enrolment in higher education institutions increased to 4.14 crore during 2020-21, crossing the 4 crore mark for first time, according to the government's All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021.

It registered an increase of 7.5 per cent from 2019-20 and 21 per cent from 2014-15.

The female enrolment has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crore in 2019-20. There has been an increase of around 44 lakh (28 per cent) in their number since 2014-15, the survey report said.

The Ministry of Education has been conducting All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) since 2011, covering all higher educational institutions located in Indian Territory and imparting higher education in the country.

The survey collects detailed information on different parameters such as student enrollment, teachers' data, infrastructural information, financial information etc.

For the first time, in AISHE 2020-21, the higher education institutions, or HEIs, have filled the data online through the Web Data Capture Format (DCF) developed by the Department of Higher Education with the help of the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

"The total enrolment in higher education has increased to nearly 4.14 crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crore in 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of around 72 lakh in the enrolment (21 pc). The female enrolment has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crore in 2019-20. There has been an increase of around 44 Lakh (28 pc) since 2014-15," the Ministry of Education said in a statement.

"The percentage of female enrolment to total enrolment has increased from 45 pc in 2014-15 to around 49 pc in 2020-21. As per 2011 population projections for 18-23 years age group, GER has increased to 27.3 from 25.6 in 2019-20," it added.

According to the survey, there was a significant increase, 28 per cent, in enrolment of SC students, and 38 per cent in enrolment of female SC Students in 2020-21, as compared to 2014-15.

"Substantial increase of 47 pc in enrolment of ST students and 63.4 pc increase in the enrolment of Female ST Students in 2020-21, compared to 2014-15. The enrolment in Institute of National Importance (INIs) has increased by nearly 61 pc during the period 2014-15 to 2020-21.

"Enrolment has increased in 2020-21 compared to 2014-15 in the specialized universities relating to Defence, Sanskrit, Biotechnology, Forensics, Design, Sports etc. The total number of pass-outs has increased to 95.4 Lakh in 2020-21 as against 94 Lakh in 2019-20," it said.