Directorate Of Education Annual Report Reveals More Females Opting for Higher Education in Prayagraj

In a significant stride towards women’s empowerment, female students in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj are increasingly opting for higher education, surpassing their male counterparts by a large margin. The latest data from the current academic session (2023-24) revealed a total enrollment of 54,76,441 students in traditional courses, with 28,07,470 girls and 26,68,971 boys, indicating a noteworthy difference of over 2 lakh, reported the Times of India.

The Directorate of Education in Prayagraj has reported that more than 54 lakh students have enrolled in 62 universities and 7925 colleges across the state. This marks a substantial increase of over 10 lakh students compared to the previous year, and it represents the highest number of admissions in state universities and colleges in the last seven years.

Accoring to TOI, This surge in female enrollment is a significant step towards achieving the target of increasing the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50 per cent by 2030, up from 28.4 per cent in 2021-22. The 2022-23 academic session saw a total of 44,18,809 students registered for higher education, with more girls (22,35,114) than boys (21,83,695) enrolling. This positive trend has been consistent in previous years as well.

Previously, in the 2021-22 session, 45,40,605 students were registered for higher education, with 23,63,138 girls compared to 21,77,467 boys. In the 2020-21 session, the gap was even wider, with 31,61,057 girls and 18,60,220 boys out of a total of 50,21,277 registrations.

The rising trend of female enrollment in higher education in Prayagraj is a significant milestone in the journey towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. The substantial increase in the number of girls opting for higher education, surpassing their male counterparts, reflects a shift in societal norms and recognition of the importance of education in women’s lives.

In her budget presentation, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman revealed that female enrollment in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses had reached 43 per cent, making it one of the highest percentages globally.

In a decade, the percentage of women enrolled in higher education has increased by 28 per cent. Girls and women make up 43 per cent of students enrolled in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses, which is among the highest percentages worldwide.

Meanwhile, according to the AISHE report released this year, the proportion of female enrollment to overall enrollment has also increased, rising from 45 per cent in 2014–15 to 49 per cent in 2020–21.