Which Ministry conducts AISHE Survey?

The Ministry of Education is entrusted with conducting the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE).

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021 released by Ministry of Education

Table of Contents

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE): It is a national survey of higher educational institutions conducted by the Ministry of Education since 2011. All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21 Report is also important for UPSC Prelims 2023 Exam and UPSC Mains Exam (GS Paper 2- Various governance initiatives to promote various sectors including education sector in India).

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021 in News

Recently, All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-2021 was released by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE)

Background: The Education Ministry has been conducting All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) since 2011.
Coverage: AISHE Report 2022 covers all higher educational institutions located in Indian Territory and imparting higher education in the country.
Parameters Used: The AISHE survey collects detailed information on different parameters such as student enrolment, teacher’s data, infrastructural information, financial information etc.
Objectives: Main objectives of the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) are to-
- Identify & capture all the institutions of higher learning in the country
- Collect the data from all the higher education institutions on various aspects of higher education
AISHE 2020-21 Online Data Collection: For the first time, in AISHE 2020-21, HEIs have filled data using entirely online data collection platform through the Web Data Capture Format (DCF).
- DCF is developed by Department of Higher Education through the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
AISHE Data Application: Data collected though AISHE Survey used for calculation of Indicators of educational development such as Institution Density, Gross Enrolment Ratio, Pupil-teacher ratio, Gender Parity Index, Per Student Expenditure.
- These are useful in making informed policy decisions and research for development of education sector.

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21 Highlights

All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2022-2021 report covers three broad aspects of India’s Higher Education System. These are- Student Enrollment, Number of Institutions, Faculty. Detailed All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-21 findings are discussed below.

AISHE Report 2020-21 on Student Enrolment

AISHE Report 2022 found that the total enrollment in higher education has increased to nearly 4.14 crore in 2020-21 from 3.85 crore in 2019-20. Since 2014-15, there has been an increase of around 72 Lakh in the enrolment (21%). Others details are discussed below-

Female enrolment: It has increased to 2.01 crore from 1.88 crore in 2019-20.
- There has been an increase of around 44 Lakh (28%) since 2014-15.
- The percentage of female enrolment to total enrolment has increased from 45% in 2014-15 to around 49% in 2020-21.
Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): As per 2011 population projections for 18-23 years age group, GER has increased to 27.3 from 25.6 in 2019-20.
- Notable increase of 1.9 points is observed in GER of ST students in 2020-21, as compared to 2019-20.
- Female GER has overtaken Male GER since 2017-18. Gender Parity Index (GPI), the ratio of female GER to male GER, has increased from 1 in 2017-18 to 1.05 in 2020-21.
Enrolment of Vulnerable Section: The enrolment of SC students is 58.95 Lakh as compared to 56.57 Lakh in 2019-20 and 46.06 Lakh in 2014-15.
- The enrolment of ST students has increased to 24.1 Lakh in 2020-21 from 21.6 Lakh in 2019-20 and 16.41 Lakh in 2014-15.
- The average annual enrolment of ST students has increased to around 1 Lakh during the period 2014- 15 to 2020-21, from around 75,000 during the period 2007-08 to 2014-15.
- Enrolment of OBC students has also increased by 6 Lakh to 1.48 crore in 2020-21, from 1.42 crore in 2019-20. There is a notable increase in OBC student enrolment since 2014-15 of around 36 Lakh (32%).
Enrolment of N-E States: The total Student Enrolment in North East States is 12.06 Lakh in 2020-21 as compared to 9.36 Lakh in 2014-15.
- The female enrolment in North East States is 6.14 lakh in 2020-21, higher than the male enrolment of 5.92 lakh [For every 100 male students, there are 104 female students in NER].
- The female enrolment outnumbered male enrolment for first time in 2018-19, and the trend continues.
Distance Education: The enrolment in Distance Education is 45.71 Lakh (with 20.9 Lakh Female), an increase of around 7% since 2019-20 and 20% since 2014-15.
Enrolment from States: Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the top 6 States in terms of number of student enrolled.
As per response in AISHE 2020-21, about 79.06% of the total students are enrolled in undergraduate level courses and 11.5% are enrolled in postgraduate level courses.
- Among Disciplines at undergraduate level, enrollment is highest in Arts (33.5%), followed by Science (15.5%), Commerce (13.9%) and Engineering & Technology (11.9%).
- Among streams at postgraduate level, maximum students are enrolled in Social Science (20.56%) followed by science (14.83%).
- Of the total enrolment, 55.5 Lakh students are enrolled in Science Stream, with female students (29.5 Lakh) out numbering male students (26 Lakh).
Government Universities (59% of total) contribute towards 73.1% of the enrolment.
- Government Colleges (21.4% of total) contribute towards 34.5% of the enrolment.
- The enrolment in Institute of National Importance (INIs) has increased by nearly 61% during the period 2014-15 to 2020-21.
- Enrolment has increased in 2020-21 compared to 2014-15 in the Specialized Universities relating to Defence, Sanskrit, Biotechnology, Forensics, Design, Sports etc.
Availability of different infrastructural facilities in HEIs in 2020-21:
- Libraries (97%)
- Laboratories (88)
- Computer centres (91%, 86% in 2019-20)
- Skill Development Centre (61%, 58% in 2019-20)
- Connectivity to National Knowledge Network (56%, from 34% in 2019-20)

AISHE Report 2020-21 on Number of Institutions

A The total number of Universities / University like institutions registered is 1,113, Colleges 43,796 and Standalone Institutions 11,296. During 2020-21, the number of Universities has increased by 70, and the number of Colleges has increased by 1,453. Since 2014-15, there has been increase of 353 Universities (46.4%). Other findings are listed below-

The Institutes of National Importance (INIs) have almost doubled from 75 in 2014-15 to 149 in 2020-21.
191 new Higher Education Institutions have been established in North Eastern States since 2014-15.
Highest number of Universities is in Rajasthan (92), Uttar Pradesh (84) and Gujarat (83).
During 2014-15 to 2020-21, on average, 59 Universities have been added annually. This was about 50 during 2007-08 to 2014-15.
17 Universities (of which 14 are State Public) and 4,375 Colleges are exclusively for women.
The College Density, the number of colleges per lakh eligible population (population in the age-group 18-23 years) has been 31. This was 27 in 2014-15.
States with Highest college density: Karnataka (62), Telangana (53), Kerala (50), Himachal Pradesh (50), Andhra Pradesh (49),Uttarakhand (40), Rajasthan (40), Tamilnadu (40).
- Top 8 Districts with Highest number of Colleges: Bangalore Urban (1058), Jaipur (671), Hyderabad (488), Pune (466), Prayagraj (374), Rangareddy (345), Bhopal (327) and Nagpur (318).
- Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat are top 8 States in terms of number of colleges.
43% universities and 61.4% colleges are located in Rural Areas.

AISHE Report 2020-21 on Faculty

The total number of faculty/teachers are 15,51,070 of which about 57.1% are male and 42.9% are female.
The female per 100 male faculty has improved to 75 in 2020-21 from 74 in 2019-20 and 63 in 2014-15.