Chandigarh, July 9: Punjab has recorded a Gross Enrolment Ratio of 27.9 per cent in higher education, falling behind the national average of 30 per cent. The findings, released by the Union Education Ministry in the latest All India Survey on Higher Education report, indicate a marginal recovery from the previous year’s 27.6 per cent but show a long-term decline from the 29.2 per cent registered nearly a decade ago.
The state’s overall student strength across both government and private colleges continued its downward trend. Total college enrolment in the state dipped to 5.31 lakh students, down from 5.33 lakh in the preceding annual cycle, representing a significant contraction from the 9.59 lakh students recorded during the peak period of 2017-18.
In contrast to the shrinking student body, the regional academic workforce features a substantial presence of women. The survey data revealed that Punjab possesses 162 female teachers for every 100 male teachers, significantly outpacing the national baseline where women occupy a smaller share of teaching positions. Union education officials affirmed that at the all-India level, there are 82 female teachers per 100 male teachers, positioning northern states like Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh well above the countrywide standard.
The broader domestic picture presents a steady upward trajectory in university participation, particularly within technical fields. Total higher education enrolment across India expanded to 4.50 crore students, marking a 31.5 per cent rise over the last decade, with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields seeing a substantial surge. Ministry representatives declared that STEM enrolment has risen significantly over the past decade, from 91.5 lakh to 1.02 crore, with the share of female students in these technical disciplines showing a steady improvement over the years to reach 44 per cent.
Neighboring territories showed mixed outcomes within the same evaluation period. Haryana posted a student participation ratio of 31.1 per cent, while Himachal Pradesh maintained a higher level at 39.9 per cent. Meanwhile, Chandigarh experienced a notable downward shift, with its higher education ratio dropping sharply to 49.1 per cent from the 54 per cent and 64.8 per cent observed in consecutive earlier terms.
