More women and people from marginalised groups enrolling in higher education has helped the Indian sector expand by almost a fifth since the start of the decade, figures show.
The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), conducted by the Ministry of Education, has revealed that total student enrolment in higher education in 2023-24 reached 45 million, 17 per cent higher than in the academic year 2019-20.
A total of 59,553 higher education institutions participated in the latest iteration of the survey.
It also shows that women accounted for nearly half of all students (49.7 per cent) in 2023-24, having increased by 42.2 per cent since 2014-15.
Women’s share in STEM enrolment also increased to 44 per cent in 2023-24. STEM enrolment across the board is the highest that it has been, recorded at 10.2 million. The growth in STEM reflects India’s continued interest in strengthening national industries related to digital technologies, science and innovation.
