Parliament Question: Migration of Students to Tier-1 Cities for Higher Education

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 5878 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 Migration of Students to Tier-1 Cities for Higher Education 5878. Dr. Shashi Tharoor: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the details of the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education for Tier-1, Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities separately during the last five academic years, along with disaggregated figures for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and women; (b) whether the Government has data on student migration for higher education from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities to Tier-1 cities during the last five years, if so, whether any decline in such migration has been recorded following the establishment of new institutions or decentralized programmes and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of higher education institutions located in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities currently offering credit-linked minors, dual degree or industry-integrated programmes in partnership with Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or other national bodies; and (d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment of household expenditure on higher education, including tuition, relocation, coaching and digital learning costs and the proportion of household income spent on education across income groups and regions and if so, the key findings thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a): As per All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2022-23(Provisional), State-wise, Social Category-wise and Gender-wise Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education is given at https://www.education.gov.in/parl_ques (b): As per AISHE, 2022-23(Provisional), the total enrolment in Higher Education has increased from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23 in the country. The GER has increased from 23.7 in 2014-15 to 29.5 in 2022-23. Out of total 1,213 Universities/University level Institutions in India, 545 are in rural areas and 668 in urban areas. National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 encourages imaginative and flexible curricular structures which enables creative combinations of disciplines for study, and offers multiple entry and exit points that removing currently prevalent rigid boundaries and creating new possibilities for life-long learning for students.(c): The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have made significant strides in expanding academic collaborations through joint and dual degree programmes with premier institutions, including partnerships with well-established universities and national bodies. IITs actively provide students with opportunities for internships—summer, winter, and semester-long—as well as research projects and industry engagements across a wide range of organizations. These initiatives not only offer valuable practical experience but also foster strong connections between academia and industry. Many IITs are continuously working to strengthen and broaden these collaborations, supporting advanced learning pathways and professional development for their students, for e.g., • Under Vidya Samagam, IIT Indore selects 50 top Students from the Government Engineering Colleges of Madhya Pradesh and offers one full Semester in B.Tech in the Institute campus. The academic credit is transferred to the college as part of their B.Tech course. • The Teachers/ Lecturers of Government Engineering Colleges of Madhya Pradesh are offered part time Ph.D. program in IIT Indore which helps them in laboratory facilities and research collaboration • Customised M.Tech program is offered to the industry - Volvo Eicher Engineers at IIT Indore • The Kendriya Vidyalaya and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Teachers of Madhya Pradesh are offered residential training in Sciences, Laboratories and Other facilities as part of Faculty development programme • The State Universities (Bundelkhand, Ujjain, Indore, Nagpur) and IIIT Bhopal are mentored through ANRF - PAIT program at a layout of 30 Crore • IIT Indore has established 03 laboratories at Ujjain Engineering College in Laser, Makers Space and Astronomy for the Students as part of their B.Tech lab facilities The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with IIT Madras, has launched the SWAYAM Plus platform. The platform offers skill related courses in collaboration with industry partners, helping learners reskill, upskill, and become employment ready. To achieve objectives of NEP 2020 and ensure availability of industry relevant knowledge to students of technical students, the All- India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has taken several steps. These include developing updated model curricula in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Robotics, and VLSI with active industry participation; signing MoUs with leading organizations to promote internships, skill development, and faculty training; making internships a mandatory component through structured guidelines offering flexible formats; launching an Industry-Academia Mobility framework to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical application; providing an AICTE Career Portal to support students—especially in remote areas—with job search, internships, resume building, and interview preparation; and proposing the PROFICIENCE SCHEME to enhance skills and knowledge across diverse groups, including students, professionals, and lifelong learners. (d): National Statistics Office (NSO) under the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) conducts survey on Household Consumption Expenditure at regular intervals wherein information on consumption of food and non-food items (like Education, Medical, Conveyance etc.) by the household are collected. The report can be accessed at https://www.mospi.gov.in/themes/product/71-household-consumption-expenditure-survey- hces#latest-release *****