Temporal changes in enrolment across different stages of higher education in India: a gender-based analysis

This study examines gender disparities in higher education across Indian states by analysing trends in the gross enrolment ratio (GER) and gender parity index (GPI) at four levels: undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), MPhil, and PhD between 2016-2017 and 2021-2022. The state-level analysis reveals that GER values in most Indian states are modest at the graduation level and have gradually declined at higher levels, including postgraduate, MPhil, and PhD. At the UG, PG, and MPhil levels, the GPI exceeds 1 in India. To understand factors affecting enrolment patterns, the study employs panel data regression with GER as the predictor. Fixed effects regression shows that higher household income, increased public expenditure on higher education, greater college availability, improved pupil-teacher ratios, reduced disparities in hostel intake, and higher levels of parental education and employment are all positively associated with increased GER across various stages of higher education, supporting India's sustainable development goals.