Question : Higher Education

(a) the details of the number of girls enrolled for higher education especially from rural areas and
backward classes within the country, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;
(b) whether it has increased during the last few years, if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard;
(d) the action taken/being taken by the Government for maximum coverage of rural areas and
backward classes and to encourage them for higher education;
(e) the details of the facilities being provided by the Government for rural areas girls including
backward classes in this regard; and
(f) whether all their reserved seats are filled every year or remain vacant, if so, the details
thereof, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu and the reasons therefor along with the steps taken
by the Government against their vacant seats?

MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) to (f): The University Grants Commission (UGC) has informed that girls enrolment in higher
education has increased from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
The Government has taken various steps for improving the enrolment of girls in higher
education such as providing grants for construction of Women’s Hostel in Universities and
Colleges, establishment of Women’s Studies Centres, implementation of Single Girl Child
Scholarship, construction/renovation of women toilets and also providing grants for benefit of
weaker section of the society through programme like “activities related to women
empowerment” under General Development Assistance scheme. The All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE) is also implementing Pragati Scholarship for girls in AICTE
approved technical institutions for Diploma /Under Graduate level program. The total number of
scholarship given is 4000 per annum (2000 for Degree and 2000 for Diploma). In the scheme
two girls child per family are eligible, who’s family income is not more than 8 lakh per annum
during the preceding financial year. The year-wise details of the beneficiaries of the Pragati
Scholarship are available at https://www.aicte-india.org/schemes/students-developmentschemes.
Further, UGC issues instructions from time to time to all Universities to implement the
reservation policy for SC/ST/OBC, EWS and Persons with Disabilities in teaching and nonteaching
posts as well as admission to all level courses. There is no specific reservation for girl
students. However, the Government is keen to increase the female enrolment in Higher
Education. Accordingly, a provision has been made to increase female enrolment in IITs from
8% in 2017-18 to 20% in 2020-21 by creating supernumerary seats. Government is pleased to
inform that for the first time the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of female has exceeded the GER
for male during the year 2018-19. The Gender Parity Index for 2018-19 is now 1.00.
A State-wise list of details of girls enrolment of Other Backward Classes (OBC) category
from 2016-17 to 2018-19 is at Annexure.
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