The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for higher education in Punjab has been recorded at 27.9 for the academic year 2023-24, which is lower than the national average of 30, according to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 report released by the Union Education Ministry on Wednesday. The state's GER has seen a marginal increase from 27.6 in 2022-23.
Declining Trend in Punjab's GER
Punjab's GER has experienced a fluctuating decline over recent years. It dropped from 29.2 in 2017-18 to 27.4 in 2021-22, before slightly recovering to 27.6 in 2022-23 and 27.9 in 2023-24. The GER measures enrolment in higher education among the 18-23 age group, with higher values indicating greater participation.
In comparison, the Union Territory of Chandigarh recorded a GER of 49.1 in 2023-24, a significant drop from 54 in 2022-23 and 64.8 in 2021-22. Haryana posted a GER of 31.1, while Himachal Pradesh achieved 39.9 for the same period.
National Trends in GER and Enrolment
Nationally, the GER has been steadily increasing from 23.7 in 2014-15 to 29.5 in 2022-23 and 30 in 2023-24. Female GER has risen to 31.2 in 2023-24 from 30.2 in 2022-23 and 22.9 in 2014-15, marking the seventh consecutive year that female GER has surpassed male GER.
Total enrolment in higher education across India has grown from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23 and 4.50 crore in 2023-24, representing a 31.5% increase since 2014-15. Female enrolment stands at 2.2 crore, with states including Bihar, West Bengal, Telangana, Kerala, Haryana, Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Assam, and Uttarakhand recording higher female enrolment than male.
Declining Student Enrolment in Punjab
Punjab's total student enrolment in government and private colleges has decreased to 5.31 lakh in 2023-24, down from 5.33 lakh in 2022-23. The AISHE report for 2021-22 recorded enrolment of 8.58 lakh, a slight increase from 8.33 lakh in 2020-21, but significantly lower than the 9.59 lakh reported in 2017-18.
Teacher Demographics and STEM Enrolment
At the national level, there are 82 female teachers per 100 male teachers. Punjab, however, has 162 female teachers per 100 male teachers, well above the national average. Haryana and Himachal Pradesh also exceed the national average with 118 and 100 female teachers per 100 male teachers, respectively.
Enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields has risen significantly over the past decade, from 91.5 lakh in 2014-15 to 1.02 crore in 2023-24. The share of female students in STEM enrolment has steadily improved from 38.4% in 2014-15 to 44% in 2023-24.
