India made notable gains in school enrolment, higher education institutions, says govt

New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS) India has made notable gains in school enrolment and higher education institutions, the government stated in the Economic Survey 2025-26 on Thursday.

The Survey tabled in the Parliament by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, credited the achievement to strengthened infrastructure and teacher capacity, due to policies such as the Right to Education Act 2009, and the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP).

Other measures include updated UGC guidelines, regulations for academic collaboration and mutual recognition of qualifications, and permissions for foreign branch campuses, including those in GIFT City.

“Achievements in the education space have been marked by enhanced literacy rates, increasing enrolment in schools and higher education institutions, provision of vocational education avenues, etc. The Right to Education Act 2009 and the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) have played a crucial role in shaping the education landscape by expanding access to quality education universally, promoting equity, and driving innovation in teaching and learning,” the Survey said.

“India has made notable gains in school enrolment by strengthening infrastructure and teacher capacity, with schemes like Poshan Shakti Nirman and Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan promoting access and equity,” it added.

The Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) stands at 90.9 at the primary stage (Grades I to V), 90.3 at the upper primary (Grade VI to VIII), 78.7 at the secondary stage (Grade IX and X), and 58.4 at the higher secondary stage (Grade XI and XII).

The Survey also mentioned an increase in the number of higher education institutions (HEIs) from 51,534 in 2014-15 to 70,018 as of June 2025 — an increase marked by substantial growth in universities and colleges.

The number of premier higher education institutions (HEIs) has expanded significantly between 2014-15 and 2024-25. It now stands at 23 IITs, 21 IIMs, and 20 AIIMS, alongside the establishment of two international IIT campuses in Zanzibar and Abu Dhabi.

The All-India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 2022-23 (Provisional), reports an increase in student enrolment from 4.33 crore in 2021-22 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23.

“India’s education sectors require unwavering focus to unlock the nation’s true potential through integrated, accountable, and adaptive policy frameworks to build a future-ready workforce,” it added.

The survey also suggested a holistic, lifecycle approach so that the country “raises its Expected Years of Schooling (EYS) to 15 years set by NEP’s 5+3+3+4 schooling structure for ages 3-18″.

The approach encompassing “early childhood education, foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN), universal secondary schooling, and the seamless integration of vocational and digital skills”, will help fully convert its vast human resource base into high-quality human capital, the Survey said.

–IANS

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