Decline in Higher Education Enrollment among Muslim Students

Decline in Higher Education Enrollment among Muslim Students

News: Recently, a report based on the analysis of data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) and the All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) reveals a notable decline in the enrollment of Muslim students in higher education.

Key Findings:
• Significant drop of over 8.5% in the enrollment of Muslim students (age group 18-23) in higher education for the academic year 2020-21.
• Enrollment decreased from 21 lakh students in 2019-20 to 19.21 lakh in 2020-21.
• The percentage of Muslim students enrolled in higher education compared to the total student population slightly decreased from 4.87% in 2016-17 to 4.64% in 2020-21.
• States like Bihar and Madhya Pradesh exhibit relatively low Gross Enrolment Ratio for Muslim students, indicating that many Muslim children in these States are still out of the education system.
• Assam (29.52%) and West Bengal (23.22%) record high dropout rates among Muslim students, while Jammu and Kashmir records 5.1%, and Kerala records 11.91%.

Key recommendations:
• Identify and acknowledge financial challenges faced by Muslim students from low-income families
• Increase the availability of scholarships, grants, and financial aid specifically designed for Muslim students.
• Develop targeted support programs to address the specific needs of Muslim students in higher education.

About AISHE:
• AISHE is an initiative by the Ministry of Education in India.
• It is conducted annually, the survey is web-based and aims to assess the state of higher educational institutions in India.
• It allows students to rate their colleges on various categories such as teachers, exam results, education finance, programs, student enrollment, and infrastructure.

About UDISE+ report:
• The Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+) report is a comprehensive study that provides information on school education in India. It is released by the Ministry of Education.
• The report includes data on various aspects such as i) Enrollment and dropout rates of school students, ii) Number of teachers in schools and iii) Information on other infrastructural facilities like toilets, buildings, and electricity