Shifting Gender Dynamics in Indian Higher Education: PG and Ph.D. Enrolment Trends

Indian higher education is experiencing a rise in female enrolment in higher education and female students became higher than that of male students for the first time in 2019-20. However, when analyse discipline wise trend of girls’ enrolment in Postgraduate (PG) and Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs, we find contrasting trends highlight a complex dynamic. By leveraging data from the All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) reports, this analysis sheds light on the current representation of female students in higher education with focus on PG and Ph.D. programs. The contrasting enrolment patterns in PG and Ph.D. programs highlight the uneven progress towards gender equality in education across different fields of higher education in India. This study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of these dynamics and the persistent barriers that hinder the achievement of true gender parity.