(a) whether access to higher education in India measures in terms of
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER);
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether India`s GER of about 10 per cent compares poorly with the
world average of 23 per cent;
(d) if so, the reasons therefor;
(e) whether the Government is considering to enhance the GER to 21 per
cent in Twelfth Five Year Plan; and
(f) if so, the details thereof ?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SMT. D. PURANDESWARI)
(a) & (b): The Gross Enrolment Ration (GER) measures the number of
students enrolled for higher studies as a percentage of population in
the age cohort group of 18-24 year. The GER for higher education in the
country is estimated to be 12.4%.
(c) & (d): According to the information available from the website of
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
(UNESCO), the GER for the world on average is 26%.
(e) & (f) : The Eleventh Five Year Plan document targets the
achievement of GER of 21% by the terminal year of the Twelfth Plan with
an interim target of 15% by the end of the Eleventh Plan. During the
Eleventh Five Year Plan, establishment of Central Universities in
hitherto uncovered States has been envisaged. The strategy for
increasing enrolment includes establishment of new institutions of
higher learning in the Central sector such as Indian Institutes of
Technology, Indian Institutes of Management, National Institutes of
Technology and Schools of Planning and Architecture, incentivizing
States for establishment of new institutions by establishment of model
degree colleges in districts where the GER is below the national level
and expansion of existing institutions by policy interventions and
schemes aimed at increasing access and opportunities for pursuit of
higher education.