Jammu and Kashmir continues to lag behind the national average in higher education enrolment, with the Union Territory recording a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 21.5 compared to the all-India average of 30, according to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 released by the Ministry of Education.
The report presents the status of higher education across the country for the academic year 2023-24 and highlights that female participation in higher education in Jammu and Kashmir continues to exceed that of males.
According to the survey, the female GER in J&K stands at 24.8, while the male GER is 18.5. However, both figures remain below the national averages of 31.2 for females and 28.9 for males.
The AISHE report states that Jammu and Kashmir has 16 universities, all of which participated in the survey. It also recorded 336 colleges, with 335 submitting data, and 184 standalone institutions, of which 152 responded.
Overall, the Union Territory has 536 higher education institutions, with 503 participating in the survey. These include two Central Universities, four Institutes of National Importance, nine State Public Universities, one institute established under a State Legislature Act, two agriculture universities and one management and finance institute.
The survey also highlights disparities in higher education participation among different social groups. The Gross Enrolment Ratio for Scheduled Castes in J&K stands at 17, with female SC students recording a higher GER of 19.9 compared to 14.4 among males.
Among Scheduled Tribes, the GER is also 17, with almost no gender gap. Male GER stands at 17.0, while female GER is marginally higher at 17.1.
At the national level, higher education enrolment has reached 4.5 crore students, with the overall Gross Enrolment Ratio improving to 30.0 from 29.5 in 2022-23. The report also notes that female GER has remained higher than male GER for the seventh consecutive year across the country.(AGENCIES)
