How Inclusive Is Higher Education in India?

Abstract

In the broad context of inclusive growth policies in India, an examination of the growth and inequalities in the country's higher education is attempted in this article with the help of rich data available from the National Sample Survey (NSS) in several rounds between 1983 and 2009-10. The article is primarily concerned with inequalities in higher education by gender, by social groups-caste and religion, by region-rural and urban and by economic groups of population classified by monthly per capita household expenditure. Considering two important indicators on higher education, namely, gross enrolment ratio and higher education attainment-percentage of adult population having completed higher education, the article examines whether inequalities in higher education have increased or declined overtime. It also throws light on the groups that have improved most over the years in their higher education status and on the decline or increase of inequalities between groups.

Determinants of Students' Choice of Engineering Disciplines in India

“…Among the household characteristics, we have identified four factors that represent household economic status, education and occupation of the parents, and the residence of the household. Household Income: Economic status of the households is widely recognised as an important factor in explaining demand for higher education (Tilak, 2015;Tilak & Choudhury, 2019). We feel that it might influence the choice of disciplines as well, as low income families may not be able to afford disciplines like modern information-technology related branches, as the fees and other related charges may be higher.…”

Foreign partnership in Indian higher education: significance, challenges and concerns

“…With an extraordinary growth rate for college-going age group, India will have a tremendous demand for tertiary educationto a tune of a staggering 140 million number of young people by 2030. Despite the rapid growth, Indian higher education is still not accessible to the weaker sections of the society (Tilak 2015). With the steady economic growth rate, the country is aiming to increase the gross enrolment ratio in higher education to 35% by the next ten years.…”

Learning in College: Beyond the Classroom

“…ii While there were only 14 women per 100 men in higher education in 1950-51, the numbers have increased to 43% by 2011-12 (Tilak, 2015). If one considers enrolment of women from scheduled communities, there has been a substantial increase over the last decade.…”