This paper highlights the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education by economic groups using data from the survey on Household Social Consumption: Education conducted by the National Sample Survey Office during the 75th round (2017–2018). We find that the GER of the youth belonging to poor households is very low. Besides, more than two-thirds of them have not completed Class XII, which is the threshold level needed to pursue higher education. It follows that promoting higher education by focusing only on the tertiary level will not achieve the desired effect unless the secondary level is supported and promoted just like the elementary level.
BorooahV. (2016). Measuring inequality of access to higher education in India (MPRA Paper No. 75683). https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/75683
2.
FergusonH. B., BovairdS., & MuellerM. P. (2007). The impact of poverty on educational outcomes for children. Pediatrics Child Health, 12(8), 701–706. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/12.8.701
3.
Government of India. (2019). Key indicators of household social consumption of education in India, NSS 75th Round. Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, National Statistical Office, New Delhi. https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1593251
4.
Government of India. (2023). Annual Report - Periodic Labour Force Survey: July 2022-June 2023. Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation, National Statistical Office, New Delhi.
5.
KhanK. (2018). Access to school and higher education among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes: Changing scenario and policy issues. Journal of Social Inclusion Studies, 4(2), 234–257.
6.
KhanT., AnsariN., & SheereenZ. (2014). Higher education in India: Access, equity and inclusiveness. The International Journal Of Humanities & Social Studies, 2(5), 249–255. http://www.internationaljournalcorner.com/index.php/theijhss/article/view/140287/98661
7.
KrishnanS. (2016). The Great Education Divide: Bridging general and professional education. Economic and Political Weekly, 51(18). https://www.epw.in/journal/2016/18/web-exclusives/great-education-divide.html
8.
MittalP., & PaniA. (2020). Measuring access to higher education through Eligible Enrolment Ratio (EER) (AIU Research Report 1/2020). New Delhi: Association of Indian Universities. https://www.aiu.ac.in/documents/research/AIU%20Research%20Report-2020-2%20Feb.pdf
9.
OECD. (2015). How does participation in education affect participation rate in labour market? In Education at a Glance Interim Report: Update of employment and educational attainment indicators. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/eag-2009-10-en.pdf?expires=1730775509&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=50BADCB37E5BE92F71CE63FF4295FC10#:~:text=Those%20with%20lower%20educational%20qualifications,if%20they%20actively%20seek%20one
10.
RaviS., GuptaN., & NagarajP. (2019). Reviving higher education in India (Brookings India Research Paper No. 112019-01). https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Reviving-Higher-Education-in-India-email-1.pdf
11.
SalmiJ. (2020). Inclusion and education, background paper for Global Education Monitoring Report 2020. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373689/PDF/373689eng.pdf.multi
12.
SharmaE. (2019). Mushrooming higher education institutions: Quality of education and employability. Annals of Social Sciences and Management Studies, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.19080/ASM.2019.03.555607
13.
SinghS. D. (2017). Challenges of higher education in India. MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends & Practices, October, 154–164. https://doi.org/10.52634/mier/2017/v7/i2/1414
14.
TilakJ. B. G. (2003). Higher education and development. In KleevesJ. P. & WatanabeR. (Eds.) The handbook on educational research in the Asia Pacific Region (pp. 809–826). Kluwer Academic Publishers. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-017-3368-7_56
15.
TilakJ. B. G. (2013). Higher education in the BRIC member countries: Comparative patterns and policies. Economic & Political Weekly, 48(14), 41–47.
16.
TilakJ. B. G. (2015). How inclusive is higher education in India?Social Change, 45(2), 185–223. https://doi.org/10.1177/0049085715574178
17.
TilakJ. B. G., & ChoudhuryP. K. (2019). Inequality in access to higher education in India between the poor and the rich: An analysis of 64th and 71st rounds of NSSO Data (2007-08 and 2013-14) (Working paper CSD-2/2019). Council for Social Development. http://csdindia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Prof-Tilak-Inequality-in-Access-to-Higher-Education-in-India.pdf
18.
University Grants Commission. (2008). Higher education in India: Issues related to expansion, inclusiveness, quality and finance. www.ugc.ac.in/oldpdf/pub/report/12.pdf
19.
University Grants Commission. (2013). Nurturing social equity in higher education. www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/7580771_NurturingSocialEquityinHigherEducation.pdf
20.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). Current Population Survey. https://www.bls.gov/cps/
21.
Yash Pal Committee Report. (2009). Report of the committee to advise on renovation and rejuvenation of higher education, Ministry of Education, Government of India. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/document-reports/YPC-Report_0.pdf
