New Delhi, December 17, 2024: India's higher education sector has undergone a monumental transformation in the past decade, marked by significant expansions in access, quality, and inclusivity. Addressing a press conference today, Union Minister for Education, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, outlined the remarkable progress made in enhancing the reach and impact of higher education institutions (HEIs) across the country.
Key Highlights of Progress in Higher Education (2014-2024):
1. Expansion of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
- Total HEIs increased by 13.8%, from 51,534 in 2014-15 to 58,643 in 2022-23.
- Universities saw a significant growth of 59.6%, rising from 760 to 1,213, underscoring India’s commitment to building world-class institutions.
- Colleges grew by 21.1%, from 38,498 to 46,624, to meet the growing demand for higher education.
- The government established 42 new premier institutions, including:
- 8 Central Universities
- 7 IITs
- 8 IIMs
- 16 IIITs, along with 2 IISERs, IISC, and NITs & IIEST.
2. Surge in Student Enrollment
- Total student enrollment in higher education surged by 30.5%, from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23.
- Female enrollment saw an impressive 38.4% increase, rising from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore.
- A notable 23% rise in female enrollment in STEM fields, with participation increasing from 35.14 lakh to 43.03 lakh.
3. Government Recruitment for Higher Education
- From May 2014 to October 2024, the government recruited 52,482 candidates for teaching and administrative roles, more than twice the number recruited in the previous decade (23,463).
4. One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) Scheme
- The ONOS initiative was launched to provide students, faculty, and researchers in HEIs with access to over 13,000 e-journals from 30 leading international publishers.
- The government allocated ₹6,000 crore for the scheme for the years 2025-2027, promoting interdisciplinary research and knowledge sharing across disciplines.
5. Establishment of Centers of Excellence
- Three new Centers of Excellence focusing on health, sustainable cities, and agriculture have been approved, with a financial outlay of ₹990 crore from 2023-28.
6. Research Parks and Industry-Academia Collaboration
- 6 Research Parks were established at prominent institutions like IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Guwahati, IIT Hyderabad, IISc Bangalore, and IIT Gandhinagar to foster innovation.
- An additional 13 new research parks will be set up at other IITs and HEIs to promote a research ecosystem and strengthen industry-academia links.
7. Promotion of Multilingualism in Education
- National-level entrance exams such as JEE (Main), NEET (UG), and CUET (UG) are now conducted in 13 languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English, making education more accessible.
8. Digital and Online Learning Platforms
- SWAYAM, launched in 2017, now offers more than 3,800 courses, with 4.7 crore enrollments to date.
- The newly launched SWAYAM Plus platform, aimed at enhancing employability, offers 320 courses developed in collaboration with 55 industry partners.
- SAMARTH is a software to digitize HEI campuses, adopted by over 12,000 HEIs, with 46 lakh students benefiting from its facilities.
- SATHEE, launched in 2023 in collaboration with IIT Kanpur, provides free coaching for competitive exams, with over 10.3 lakh registered users.
9. Academic Bank of Credit and NIRF Rankings
- The Academic Bank of Credit launched in 2021 has registered 2,247 HEIs and mapped over 1 crore student IDs with more than 2 crore records.
- The NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) saw a rise in participation, with applications increasing from 3,565 in 2016 to 10,845 in 2024, and the number of institutions rising from 2,426 to 6,517.
10. Global Recognition and QS Rankings
- India’s global presence in higher education is gaining recognition, with 46 Indian HEIs ranked in the QS World University Rankings 2025, a 318% increase from just 11 institutions in 2015.
- IIT Bombay rose from 149th position in 2024 to 118th in the 2025 QS Rankings, further cementing India’s standing in the global education landscape.
11. Growth in Book Promotion and Hackathons
- The footfall at the National Book Fair, organized by the Ministry of Education, grew exponentially from 4 lakh in 2014 to 19 lakh in 2024.
- The Smart India Hackathon, initiated in 2017, saw participation grow from 7,531 teams to 49,892 teams in 2024, with submissions increasing from 7,500 to 57,000 ideas, showcasing the rise of innovation among Indian students.
A Vision for the Future of Higher Education
Shri Dharmendra Pradhan emphasized that India is positioning itself as a global leader in higher education, driven by an inclusive, digitally-enabled, and research-focused educational ecosystem. With enhanced access, a focus on gender parity, and a significant investment in infrastructure and research, India is building a robust foundation for future generations of students to excel on both national and international stages.
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विद्यार्थियों के higher education enrollment में 30% की वृद्धि हुई है। पहले 2014-15 में ये आंकड़ा 3.42 करोड़ था, जो 2022-23 में बढ़कर 4.46 करोड़ हो गई है।
— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) December 17, 2024
Female enrollment 38.4% की अभूतपूर्व उपलब्धि के साथ 1.57 करोड़ से बढ़कर 2.18 करोड़ हो गई है।
ऐसे ही STEM courses में भी… pic.twitter.com/5fZHBeWZy6
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