The Union Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Prakash Javadekar released the 8th All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) for the year 2016-17 in New Delhi today. On this occasion, he also launched the Survey for the year 2017-18.Speaking on the occasion Shri Prakash Javadekar informed that there is an increase in overall enrolment from 27.5 million in 2010-11 to 35.7 million in 2016-17 and improvement in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) which is a ratio of enrolment in higher education to population in the eligible age group (18-23) years, from 19.4% in 2010-11 to 25.2 in 2016-17 which is a significant achievement. He expressed the hope that the GER ratio of 30% would be achieved by the year 2022.He further informed that Gender Parity Index (GPI), a ratio of proportional representation of female and male, has improved from 0.86 to 0.94 to the corresponding period. To give a further boost to girl-students, the Minister announced that a supernumerary quota in IITs will be increased.Shri Javadekar informed that the number of institutions of higher education listed on AISHE portal has also increased significantly – from 621 universities in 2010-11 to 864 in 2016-17 and from 32,974 colleges in 2010-11 to 40,026 colleges in 2016-17.e said that the government’s vision for the higher education is based on three important aspects namely Quality, Autonomy, Research & Innovation. Stating that for successful planning and implementation of any policy we need correct information and real time survey, the Minister commended the officials involved in this task.The Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Dr. Satya Pal Singh and Shri R. Subrahmanyam, Special Secretary, Department of Higher Education were also present on the occasion.The Survey was initiated in the year 2011 to prepare a robust data-base on higher education. Keeping in view the usefulness of data collected during the very first year, Ministry decided to make this survey an annual exercise of data collection in higher education sector. So far, survey has been completed for the years 2010-11 to 2016-17 and all the reports of AISHE are available on the website of the Ministry (www.hrd.gov.in) under the menu `Statistics’.
The survey covers almost all the Higher Education institutions (HEIs) in the country including Universities, Colleges and Stand-Alone institutions. Identified nodal officers from each institution are primarily responsible for collecting and uploading the data on AISHE portal in a secured environment. It needs a lot of efforts in a survey of this scale to bring out the correct and complete picture of the system so that relevant statistics are available to the Central Government as well as State Governments, in order to devise future policies.
The survey is also unique in the sense that it is a participatory effort between State Governments, Regulatory Statutory Authorities and the Ministries of the Government of India. The Survey compiles and manages statistics directly online from respondent institutions. The main items of data collection under survey are Basic details, Programme details, Teaching & Non-Teaching Staff, Student Enrolment, Examination Result, Infrastructure, Scholarships and Foreign students etc. The AISHE data is the main source of information for `Know Your College’ portal.With the launching of the portal based survey, the time-lag in bringing out the reports has been reduced to bare minimum. All the institutions located in the country are requested to participate in the Survey and provide relevant data.In the AISHE 2016-17, efforts have been made for the first time to collect the details of teachers to be used in the portal `Gurujan’ specifically dedicated to teacher information. The portal is in the process of development.