Higher Education in India
AISHE Reports: Context and Background
- For the first time since 2011, undergraduate enrolments declined by 93,000 (0.27%) in 2023-24.
- This decline occurred despite an increase in youth population and growth in HEIs from 56,180 to 59,533.
- The decline was entirely among male students — down 2.2%, while female enrolments rose by 1.8%.
Key Highlights of AISHE 2022-24: Progress Indicators
- SC enrolment increased by 51.4%, ST by 75.7% and OBC by 60.2% since 2014-15.
- STEM enrolment rose to 1.02 crore, with female share increasing from 38.4% to 44%.
- Total faculty reached 17.32 lakh, with female faculty growing from 5.69 lakh to 7.78 lakh.
Persistent Challenges in India’s Higher Education
Graduate unemployment stands at nearly 40% among graduates under 25 per State of Working India 2026, while the national employability rate is only 54.81% per India Skills Report 2025 — a widening gap between credentials and job-readiness.
Quality Gap
India has 128 universities in THE Asia Rankings 2026, but none cracked the top 40.
Faculty Shortage
28% of teaching and 48% of non-teaching posts in central universities remain vacant per the March 2025 Parliamentary Committee report.
Mental Health Crisis
70% of students face anxiety, and NCRB continuously flags student suicides as a critical concern.
R&D Stagnation
India’s GERD remains stagnant at 0.6-0.7% of GDP, well below the global average.
State University Neglect
State universities handling over 85% of total student enrolment are functionally underfunded.
Rural-Urban Divide
Urban areas hold 38.1% of secondary schools while 32.5% of rural students lack broadband access.
Private Proliferation
Over 35% of HEIs are private, but very few hold an “A” grade from NAAC.
Research-Teaching Divorce
Cutting-edge research is isolated in CSIR, ICAR and DRDO, leaving university campuses intellectually hollowed out.
