India Eyes Raising Gross Enrollment Ratio In Higher Education To 50 Per Cent By 2035

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday (10 July emphasised that it was important to raise India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50 per cent by 2035, and urged Vice Chancellors to take definitive action to achieve this goal.

Speaking at the Vice-Chancellors’ Conference of Central Universities in Kevadia, Gujarat, Pradhan called for targeted efforts in curriculum redesign, digital systems, faculty training, and multidisciplinary approaches.

He said that it was imperative for the Vice Chancellors to act as catalysts in shaping the mind-set and aspirations of students.

He also underscored the importance of adopting a “Students-First” approach, stating that students formed the core of the country’s future strength and must be empowered to become job creators, social entrepreneurs, and ethical innovators.

Sharing progress in the education sector over the past decade, the minister said total student enrolment in higher education had reached 4.46 crore—a 30 per cent rise since 2014–15.

Female enrolment increased by 38 per cent, and the number of female Phd scholars grew by 136 per cent. GER for Scheduled Tribes rose by 10 percentage points and by over 8 points for Scheduled Castes.

Pradhan also highlighted the concept of Panch Sanklapa of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 which would be the guideline for the VCs in their university gurukuls.

The prominent themes being Next-Gen emerging education, Multidisciplinary education, Innovative education, Holistic education and Bharatiya Education.

The minister called upon the  VCs to devise changes to implement the objectives of the academic Triveni Sangamam through the following objectives- Celebrating the past (India’s richness), calibrating the present (India’s narrative correction), and creating the future (India’s role in the global order).  

He added that this would ensure understanding the past, uncovering the present and unfolding the future in the contemporary framework.

Also Read: Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train: 309 Km Viaduct, 391 Km Piers Work Complete, Says NHSRCL