Why in news?

• As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2018-19, there are 39931 colleges in India, out of which 60.53% are located in rural areas.

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• Further, majority of the colleges provide higher education to both males and females and 11.04% colleges are exclusively for females.
• Additionally, as per AISHE 2018-19, females constitute 48.6% of the total enrolment in higher education and the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for females in higher education at 26.4% is higher than the national GER of boys at 26.3%.
• Also, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) has increased during the last 5 years, from 0.92 in 2014-15 to 1 in 2018-19.

Gross enrolment ratio (GER) in Higher Education

Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher education in India is calculated for 18-23 years of age group. Total enrolment in higher education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage to the eligible official population (18-23 years) in a given school year. The GER is widely used to show the general level of participation in and capacity of higher education. Data includes details on gender wise gross enrolment ratio in higher education for all categories, SC and ST.