New Delhi, Jun 10 (IANS): India's enrollment in higher education stands at 3.85 crore in 2019-20, as compared to 3.74 crore in 2018-19, registering a growth of 11.36 lakh (3.04 per cent).
The findings came after the release of All India Survey on Higher Education 2019-20. The report provides key performance indicators on the current status of higher education in the country.
The total enrollment was 3.42 crore in 2014-15, mentioned the report released by Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'.
Pokhriyal noted that in the last five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20, there has been a growth of 11.4 per cent in the student enrollment.
"The rise in female enrollment in higher education during the period is 18.2 per cent," the Minister further said, emphasizing that it was due to the continuous focus given by the central government on education of girls, women empowerment and empowerment of socially backward classes.
As per Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of the report, the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 27.1 per cent against 26.3 per cent in 2018-19 and 24.3 per cent in 2014-2015.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.
However, Pupil Teacher Ratio in higher education in 2019-20 is 26. In 2019-20, the number of universities was 1,043 (2 per cent); in colleges: 42,343 (77 per cent) and stand-alone institutions: 11,779 (21 per cent).
A total of 3.38 crore students enrolled in programmes at under-graduate and post-graduate level, said the report, adding nearly 85 per cent of the students (2.85 crore) out of total were enrolled in the six major disciplines such as Humanities, Science, Commerce, Engineering and Technology, Medical Science and IT and Computer.
The number of students pursuing PhD in 2019-20 is 2.03 lakh against 1.17 lakh in 2014-15 while the total number of teachers stands at 15,03,156 comprising of 57.5 per cent male and 42.5 per cent female.
"I feel delighted to announce the release of the All India Survey on Higher Education 2019-20 report. As you can see, we have improved in GER, Gender parity Index. The number of Institutions of National importance increased 80 per cent (from 75 in 2015 to 135 in 2020).
"It is heartening to note that the number of PhDs has also increased by 60 per cent in the last five years. All this has been possible because of the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Nishank tweeted.