Parliament Question: Increase in Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls and OBC students

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO – 538 ANSWERED ON 04/02/2026 Increase in Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls and OBC students 538 Smt. Sumitra Balmik: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether Government's focus on the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and initiatives like 'Samagra Shiksha' has successfully resulted in a significant increase in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of girls and students belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC) in higher education; (b) the State-wise details of the increase in Gross Enrolment Ratio and the reduction in dropout rates for girl students at the secondary level over the last three years, with specific reference to the progress recorded in the State of Madhya Pradesh; and (c) the details of the special financial assistance or scholarship programs currently being implemented? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a): As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for girls for the year 2022-23 (provisional) and 2021-22 are 30.2 and 28.5 respectively. The Enrolment of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 2018-19 to 2022-23 (provisional) are given as under: Year Male Female Total 2022-23(Provisional) 88,73,534 85,31,511 1,74,05,044 2021-22 85,17,847 78,18,613 1,63,36,460 2020-21 75,33,866 72,87,671 1,48,21,537 2019-20 72,02,109 70,47,005 1,42,49,114 2018-19 69,09,174 66,82,820 1,35,91,994 (b): As per UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus), State/UT-wise Gross Enrolment Ratio and the dropout rates for girl students at the secondary level from the year 2022-23 to 2024-25 is available at https://www.education.gov.in/en/parl_ques. (c): Central Government assist States and UTs through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha and hot cooked meal provided from Balvatika to class 8 under Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Yojna. Financial assistance/grant is also provided to the States and UTs including Uttar Pradesh for various activities, which include opening/strengthening of new schools up to Senior Secondary level, strengthening school infrastructure, setting up and up gradation and running of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) upto class 12, setting up of residential schools/hostels named Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalayas, hostels under Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) and Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA),transport allowance, undertaking enrolment drives, seasonal hostels/residential camps, provision of vocational education and ICT facilities in schools, providing free text books and free uniform, transport/escort facility, etc, financial assistance/grant is also provided for aids and appliances for children with special needs. Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing Central Sector National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), which is meant for meritorious students of Economically Weaker Sectionsand is open to students of all categories including SC and ST categories. One lakh fresh scholarship are awarded to selected students of class IX every year with continuation / renewal in classes X to XII for study in State Government, Government-aided and Local body schools under the scheme. The amount of scholarship is Rs. 12000/- per year starting from class- IX and continues till class-XII. Funds under the scheme are not released to State/UT Governments and scholarship amount is transferred directly into the account of the beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. The Pre-Matric and Post-Matric scholarship schemes for SC, ST, OBC and minority are Centrally Sponsored schemes being implemented by States and UTs and administered by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs. Under these scholarship schemes, the benefits are extended to all the students, including students belonging to SC, ST and OBC, subject to their parental income ceiling and as per scheme guidelines. In addition, the Department of Higher Education (DHE) implements the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Yojana under which students pursuing higher education in India, including SC, ST, OBC and minority students get scholarships as per Scheme guidelines. The Government is implementing different scholarship schemes for providing financial assistance to all categories of students, subject to extant scheme guidelines. The details of these schemes including the eligibility criteria laid down for scholarship are available in the following websites: Sl. Ministry/ Department Website links No . 1. Department of Higher The details are available at Education https://www.education.gov.in/scholarshipseducation-loan-0 2. University Grants The details are available at Commission https://www.ugc.gov.in/Home/student_Corner 3. All India Council for The details are available at Technical Education https://www.aicteindia.org/bureaus/rifd/Scholarship-Schemes ******