Higher enrollment is a step forward in helping them achieve economic and political freedom
By Dr Kandagatla Sravan Kumar
Hyderabad: A meaningful discussion is taking place across the country with regard to the awareness of the status of women, their lifestyle and their rights. Women’s empowerment means having women in decision-making positions and ensuring they get economic freedom and political opportunities.
But all these are possible only through education. In recent times, the enrollment of women in higher education in the country has been higher than that of men. Telangana leads the country in the enrollment of women in higher education.
According to the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) 2020-21, total enrollment in higher education in India increased from 3.85 crore students in the academic year 2019-20 to around 4.14 crore in 2020-21. During the same period, enrollment of women increased from 1.88 crore to 2.01 crore. The percentage of women in total enrollment has increased from 45 in 2014-15 to nearly 49 in 2020-21. For the first time in 2018-19, enrollment of women was higher than that of men, and the same trend is continuing.
Upper Hand
In the last three to four years, women seem to have had an upper hand in higher education admissions in Telangana. The enrollment of women in professional courses has increased steadily. According to statistics, the enrollment of women in 2020-21 increased 4.5% compared with 2019-20 in professional courses. Total enrollment increased 4.8% during the same period. Enrollment in higher education across the country crossed the 4-crore-mark for the first time, with 4.14 crore students getting admissions for the year 2020-21. This is 7.5% higher than 2019-20 and 21% higher than 2014-15.
With regard to women, it crossed 2 crore, 13 lakh more than in 2019-20. The enrollment of SC students increased 28% compared with 2014-15. For SC women, it increased 38%. The enrollment of STs increased 47%, and that of ST women increased 63.4%. For the OBCs, it increased 32%, and for OBC women, it was up 39%. Enrollment in distance education increased 7% compared with 2019-20.
State’s Policies
After the emergence of Telangana as a separate State, the government has formulated various policies and schemes for the empowerment of women, their welfare and development. The State government has been according high priority to girl child education since the beginning; it provides free residential education from primary to higher education.
As a part of this, Telangana first established more than a thousand women’s residential (gurukul) educational institutions for a large number of SC, ST, BC and minority girls with the highest educational standards. It has especially established around 60 women’s Gurukula degree colleges. In addition to degree and PG courses, special colleges focussed on law, agriculture and fashion design have been set up to provide higher education, leading to a significant increase in the percentage of enrollment in female education in the State.
Better than National
Telangana’s gross enrollment ratio for women in higher education is around 40%, as against the national average of 28. While the national average enrollment is 27%, Telangana’s enrollment is 40%. Recognising the need for women’s higher education, the State government converted Koti Women’s College in Hyderabad into ‘Telangana Women’s University’ exclusively for women. According to the State Level Common Postgraduate Entrance Test (CPGET)-2022, in the academic year 2022-23 in Telangana, 72% of girls are enrolled in postgraduate programmes (70% in 2021-22), 52% in degree programmes and 81% in BEd. Higher enrollment of women in education is a huge step forward.
Similarly, more women have been admitted to universities in the State, and are enrolling in school education almost on a par with male students. In gurukuls, model schools and Kasturba schools, the number of girls is higher than boys. Scholarships and fee reimbursements provided by the State government are available to women to pursue higher education. Telangana government’s welfare schemes like ‘Shaadi Mubarak’ and ‘Kalyana Lakshmi’ are also indirectly contributing to the education of women even after marriage.
The desire to pursue higher education and start own business, the flexibility of doing jobs while staying at home, the availability of residential schools and colleges, and awareness are all favourable factors leading to higher enrollment in women’s education in Telangana.
Roadblocks
At the college level, poor financial conditions, transportation facilities, co-education problems, hostel facilities, gender discrimination, and physical and psychological harassment are reported as factors affecting women’s higher education, so efforts should be made to solve these problems. Similarly, information on women’s participation in higher education should be collected, which should be a coordinated effort by universities and the government.
New policies and programmes in the education sector should be better implemented to increase the active participation of women in higher education. Women’s participation should be enhanced to educate students about their future fields of study and careers without gender bias. Students and teachers should be made more aware of gender sensitisation.
Higher enrollment of women in higher education in Telangana will lead to women’s empowerment, and social and economic progress of the State. Not only should there be a higher enrollment of women in higher education, but more government policies and new schemes should be introduced to provide employment, skill development and job opportunities to them. It is the responsibility of the Central and State governments to provide better facilities and support for women so that they can grow on their own.