India’s Higher Education Sector Records Major Expansion As Universities, Student Enrolment And Women’s Participation Rise Sharply
New Delhi: India’s higher education sector has expanded significantly over the past decade with a sharp rise in institutions, student enrolment and participation of women and disadvantaged communities, according to a report released on Tuesday. As per analysis of SBI Research, the number of universities rose to 1,289 in FY24 from 723 in FY14, while colleges increased to 48,246 from 36,634. Also…
India's higher education sector has seen substantial growth over the past decade, according to a SBI Research report published on Tuesday. The number of universities jumped from 723 in FY14 to 1,289 in FY24, while colleges rose from 36,634 to 48,246. Standalone institutions also increased from 11,664 to 15,221. Overall, student enrolment surged to over 4.5 crore in FY24, with men and women each making up nearly half of the student body.
Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) students together represented 62% of total enrolment. Female participation in higher education has also climbed, with women outpacing men in undergraduate science studies and having a near-equal representation among PhD students.
The report revealed a 68% rise in teaching staff, with teachers reaching 17.3 lakh in FY24 from 13.7 lakh in FY14. Female teachers accounted for 45% of the workforce. However, about one-third of teaching positions in centrally funded universities and institutes remained vacant, particularly at the professor level. IITs, IIMs, and NITs experienced significant expansion, growing from 59 to 76 institutions between FY14 and FY26.
Placements from these prestigious institutions also grew, with IIM placements reaching 13,700 in FY24 from 7,500 in FY16 and IIT placements reaching 17,500 from 9,500.
The median salaries at IIMs, IITs, and NITs more than doubled between FY16 and FY24, surpassing Rs 40 lakh in FY24. Nevertheless, SBI Research emphasized the need for increased public spending on education, noting that the sector's share of total government expenditure has stayed around 1% in recent years. The report called for greater investment in research, stronger industry-academia partnerships, and expansion of vocational training programs.
It also suggested making the National Testing Agency a statutory body, proposing a constitutional amendment to guarantee a right to free and fair education, and advocating for reforms in examination systems and regional disparities in student-teacher ratios.
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