All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022

The Ministry of Education released the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) for 2021-22, covering all higher education institutions in India. AISHE has been conducted annually since 2011.

Increase in Overall Enrolment

The total enrolment in higher education has grown to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22, increasing by over 91 lakh students since 2014-15. This highlights the rapid expansion of India’s higher education system over the years.

Rise in Enrolment Across Categories

Enrolment has increased across categories like females, SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities since 2014-15. For instance, female enrolment rose by 50 lakh to 2.07 crore.

Jump in GER Ratio

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), or percentage of 18-23 age group enrolled in higher education, has gone up from 23.7% in 2014-15 to 28.4% in 2021-22. The rise has been higher for females and reserved categories like SCs and STs.

Increase in Ph.D Enrolment

Ph.D enrolment increased 81.2% since 2014-15 to 2.12 lakh. Female Ph.D enrolment doubled in the same period highlighting greater gender parity in research degrees.

Predominance of Undergraduate Degrees

Nearly 79% of total enrolment is in undergraduate programs while 12% is in postgraduation. Arts, Science and Commerce remain the top disciplines at UG level.

Social Sciences Dominate Postgraduation

At postgraduate level, maximum students opt for Social Sciences followed by Science. This indicates the diversity of subject choices in higher studies.

STEM Enrolment Trends

Around 98.5 lakh students are pursuing STEM degrees in UG, PG and Ph.D levels in 2021-22, registering an increase over previous years.

Infrastructure Availability

As per collected data, higher education institutions have near universal availability of key infrastructure like libraries, labs, computer centers, playgrounds etc.

Number of Institutions

The total number of universities, colleges and standalone institutions registered under AISHE now stands at 1168, 45473 and 12002 respectively. Over 340 new universities have been added since 2014-15 highlighting expansion.

Faculty Details

The higher education system had nearly 16 lakh faculty in 2021-22 with 57% male and 43% female. The percentage of female faculty has grown by 22% since 2014-15 indicating improving gender balance.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2024

Category: Reports & Indexes Current Affairs