India’s higher education sector continued its steady expansion in 2023-24, with total enrolment reaching a record 4.50 crore and the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) touching 30, according to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports for 2022-23 and 2023-24 released by the Union Ministry of Education on Wednesday.
The survey, the government’s primary source of official higher education statistics, also showed sustained improvements in female participation, enrolment among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), STEM education, and faculty strength.
According to the report, the overall GER increased from 29.5 in 2022-23 to 30 in 2023-24, continuing a decade-long rise from 23.7 in 2014-15. Female GER stood at 31.2 in 2023-24, up from 30.2 the previous year and 22.9 in 2014-15.
The GER for SC students increased to 27.8 in 2023-24 from 18.9 in 2014-15, while the figure for ST students rose to 22.8 from 13.5 during the same period.
The survey also found that the Gender Parity Index (GPI), which measures the ratio of female to male GER, stood at 1.08 in 2023-24. The index has remained above 1 for seven consecutive years, indicating higher female participation than male participation in higher education.
Overall enrolment in higher education rose to 4.50 crore in 2023-24 from 4.46 crore in 2022-23 and 3.42 crore in 2014-15, marking an increase of 31.5 per cent over the past decade.
Female enrolment reached 2.24 crore in 2023-24, up from 2.18 crore in the previous year and 1.57 crore in 2014-15, registering a 42.2 per cent increase over the decade.
The report also highlighted improved participation among socially disadvantaged groups. Enrolment of SC students increased to 69.72 lakh in 2023-24 from 46.07 lakh in 2014-15, while ST enrolment rose to 28.83 lakh from 16.41 lakh. Enrolment of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) also climbed to 1.80 crore from 1.13 crore during the same period.
STEM education continued to gain momentum, with enrolment increasing from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.02 crore in 2023-24. The share of women in STEM courses also improved steadily, rising from 38.4 per cent to 44 per cent over the decade.
Faculty strength also expanded, with the total number of teachers reaching 17.32 lakh in 2023-24. Of these, 44.9 per cent were women. Female faculty increased from 5.69 lakh in 2014-15 to 7.78 lakh in 2023-24.
The Ministry said participation by higher education institutions remained above 90 per cent in both survey years. A total of 56,180 institutions participated in the 2022-23 survey and 59,533 institutions submitted data for 2023-24 through the AISHE web portal.
The ministry noted that while AISHE data is self-reported by higher education institutions, it is subjected to validation and scrutiny before publication.
