INSIGHTS FROM THE ALL-INDIA SURVEY OF HIGHER EDUCATION (AISHE) 2021–22

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TAG: GS 1: SOCIAL ISSUES

THE CONTEXT: The recently released All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) for the academic year 2021–22 provides crucial insights into the landscape of higher education in India.

EXPLANATION:

• We will analyse the five key takeaways from the survey, highlighting trends in student enrollment, gender dynamics, discipline preferences, institutional choices, and graduation patterns.

Rising Student Enrollment:

• The AISHE report reveals a substantial increase in student enrollment, reaching 4.33 crore in 2021–22 from 4.14 crore in the previous academic year and 3.42 crore in 2014–15.
• The survey covers various educational levels, including undergraduate, postgraduate, PhD, MPhil, diploma, PG diploma, certificate, and integrated programs.
• A total of 10,576 standalone institutions, 42,825 colleges, and 1,162 universities participated in the survey.

Female Enrollment Surpasses Male:

• A remarkable trend emerges with the steady rise in female enrollment in higher education. The number of women enrolled increased by 32% from 1.5 crore in 2014–15 to 2.07 crore in 2021–22.
• The most significant surge is observed at the PhD level, where female enrollment has more than doubled in eight years.
• In the current academic year, women constitute 55% of the 91 lakh additional students in higher education, with the postgraduate level having the highest proportion of female students at 55.4%.

GER and Gender Parity:

• The Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) for the age group 18–23 years stands at 28.4 nationally. Chandigarh boasts the highest GER at 64.8%, followed by Puducherry, Delhi, and Tamil Nadu.
• The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates that in 26 states and Union Territories, the GER favors women.
• The national GPI is 1.01, with specific values of 1.01 for SC and 0.98 for ST categories.

Arts Dominate in Graduation and Postgraduation:

• The AISHE survey underscores the preference for Arts programs, with Bachelor of Arts (BA) having the highest enrollment at 34.2% of total undergraduate enrollment.
• Arts is followed by science (14.8%), commerce (13.3%), and engineering and technology (11.8%).
• Similarly, the social science stream dominates postgraduate enrollment, with Master of Arts (MA) having the highest enrollment at 40.7%.

Primacy of Government Institutions:

• Despite the presence of more private universities, 73.7% of all students attend government universities, constituting 58.6% of all universities.
• State public universities, in particular, hold the largest share of enrollment at around 31%.
• This indicates a clear preference among students for government educational institutions.

Demographics of Graduates:

• In the 2021–22 academic year, an estimated 1.07 crore students graduated, with approximately 50.8% being women.
• The demographic breakdown shows around 35% of graduates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC), 13% from Scheduled Caste (SC), and 5.7% from Scheduled Tribe (ST).
• The arts and social sciences streams exhibit higher graduation rates, with BA and MA programs leading at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, respectively.

All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE):

• The AISHE report has been published by the Ministry of Education since 2011.
• It aims to portray the status of higher education in the country.
• The survey covers all the institutions in the country engaged in imparting higher education.
• Data is being collected on several parameters, such as teachers, student enrollment, programmes, examination results, education finance, and infrastructure.
• Indicators of educational development such as Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-teacher ratio, Gender Parity Index, Per Student Expenditure will also be calculated from the data collected through AISHE.

Conclusion:

• The AISHE 2021–22 report provides a comprehensive snapshot of the evolving higher education landscape in India.
• From the increasing participation of women to the dominance of arts in academic choices, this analysis underscores the multifaceted trends shaping the educational journey of millions of students across the country.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers and educators as they strive to enhance the quality and inclusivity of higher education in India.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/five-takeaways-aishe-report-education-9132625/