The paper discusses the status of women in higher education in India. It notes that historically, women have faced barriers to education and were expected to focus on domestic duties. However, over generations reforms have increased women's participation in education. Now nearly half of all students pursuing higher education in India are women. While progress has been made, further efforts are needed to enhance scholarships, safety, and workplace equality to continue advancing women's empowerment through higher education.

1. Abstract of Paper on
“The Status of Women in Higher Education”
By
Dr. Asha A Suratkal
ABSTRACT
Generations after generation we have witnessed in India male dominated society. The
women were accorded lower profile in the family. Although the women population is
about 50% of the total population no much attention was paid to educate them and make
them capable earning their livelihood. Their role was restricted at home in taking care
of the home front as well as attending to the healthcare of the family members. Although
India is the second largest country on population front, so far as the student population
is concerned it ranks first in the world. According to the 2011 population census the
student population is 31.5 crore and now it has exceeded 32 crore. 50% of the
population is having less than 27 years of age. Today the education of women is the
key yardstick of the country’s developmental state. As against the Kothari
Commission’s recommendation of need for spending at least 6% of the GDP up till now
the Govt. has reached only up to 3.6% by 2016. Gradually Indian higher education
scenario is undergoing a change. The strength of the women pursuing higher education
is increasing. Traditionally higher education is required by both male and female. But
if female gets higher education it addresses both individual as well as social aspects.
Women are strongly motivated to pursue higher education and are more sincere than
men and therefore they succeed in completing higher education. Their performance is
also remarkable. Today, because of the higher education by talented women, Indian
women are occupying very high position not only in India but also at the international
level.Women in India have immensely proved that they are not at all inferior to men in
any field, whether it is banking, defence, aviation, industry etc. The need of the time is
that the men should support the women career makers in the field of their choice. The
men should come out and shed away the attitude of domination over the women as both
men and women have been given equal rights by the Indian constitution. Since women
are also earning partners in the family the men should also shoulder some of the
domestic duties so that the women can freely and wholeheartedly pursue their careers.
Gradually this change is coming particularly in the urban and metropolitan areas. The
paper has also offered some suggestion for enhancing the participation of the women
in higher education.
Keywords: Higher education, male dominated society, motivated, participation,
career

2. A paper on
“The Status of Women in Higher Education”
By
Dr.Asha A Suratkal
Evolution of Women’s Education in India
Generations after generation we have witnessed in India male dominated
society. The women were accorded lower profile in the family. Although the women
population is about 50% of the total population no much attention was paid to educate
them and make them capable earning their livelihood. Their role was restricted at home
in taking care of the home front as well as attending to the healthcare of the family
members. Therefore, women’s literacy rate is low. As per the last census of 2011 the
literacy rate amongst women is 65.46 per cent as against 82.14% for men.
India is a vast country where majority of the total population (68.4%) resides in
villages. Therefore, there is a wide difference in the literacy rate between the rural and
urban women. In the rural area there were no educational opportunities in the early 19th
century. Today, the picture is changed in positive direction which is also being reflected
in the increasing trend of the women’s literacy rate.
The women being half of the population they were left out outside the education
field for a very long time. It was for the first time reformists like Bharat Ratna Dr.
Maharishi Karve, was a preeminent social reformer of his time in India in the field of
welfare of womankind.He promoted education of women and freedom for widows to
remarry if they wished to do so. The Government of India recognized his reform work
by awarding him its highest civilian award, Bhārat Ratna in 1958.In 1931, the SNDT
University established its first college in Mumbai, and moved its headquarters to
Mumbai five years later.Savitribai Phule, a woman who kept the foundation for women
education in India. She was the first woman who started the first ever school in India
exclusively for girls at a time when nobody could dare to even think about educating a
girl.In March, 2015 the University of Pune has been renamed as the “Savitribai Phule
University of Pune”.In 1998, the government of India released a stamp in her honor.
Importance of the Women’s Education
In India the female education has its roots in the British Regime. In 1854 the
East India Company acknowledged women’s’ education and employment.Initially this
education was limited only to primary school level education and only the richer section
of the society enjoyed this facility.Since independence there had been a phenomenal
growth in the number of women students‟ enrolment in higher education
The traditional view supports women’s education to equip them to become better wives
and mother. But modern attitude visualizes education as an instrument for women’
equality and development.

3. Historical Perspective of Women’s Education in India
The historical perspective of women’s education in India can be traced back
from the 5th
century B.C. when in Taxshila was the world renowned centre of education.
Nalanda University was the oldest University system of education in the World. Today,
India occupies an important position in respect of Higher Education.
Today the education of women is the key yardstick of the country’s developmental
state. The importance of women’s education has been very nicely brought out in the
following quote by a Gandhian scholar. It says, “If you educate a man you educate an
individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a household, “The other vital
aspects of the women’s education are brought out hereunder.
i) Education for women is the best way to improve the health, nutrition and
economic status of a household that constitute a micro unit of a nation
economy.
ii) Empowerment of women through education will seek gender equality in
the society.
iii) Educated women will be capable of earning livelihood which will improve
their economic condition and status in the family.
iv) The educated women will be helpful in arresting the population growth by
observing restraint or by adopting family planning measures.
v) Higher fertility rate is the outcome of low status of women in the society.
The education will help in increasing the age of marriage of women and
they will nurture their young ones more scientifically.
vi) Educated women will be able to take care of their children’s education at
least during early childhood.
vii) With the development of earning capability women will be able live with
dignity.
Although India is the second largest country on population front, so far as the
student population is concerned it ranks first in the world. According to the 2011
population census the student population is 31.5 crores and now it has exceeded 32
crores. 50% of the population is having less than 27 years of age. It has been observed
that on this back drop the government expenditure on education does not commensurate
with the students’ population. The below detailed table shows the percentage of
expenditure on education to the GDP and it reveals that it is far below the expected
level of 6% of the GDP (Kothari commission’s recommendation given some 50 years
ago).
Table showing % of expenditure incurred on Education to the GDP
Year 1997 1999 2003 2006 2009 2011 2013 2016
% 3.308 4.347 3.5 3.094 3.311 3.839 3.842 3.65
Source: Economic Review of the respective years.
So far as higher education is concerned the strength of the students taking higher
education is 3.57 crore, there 16 lakh college teachers and the strength of the private

4. college is 77.8%. The discipline wise classification of the students taking higher
education is as under:
B.Com. B. A. B. Sc. B. E. Remaining
14.1% 38.00 16.7 14.7 14.5
Position as of 31.3.2017
Gender Parity Index (GPI) is worked out on the strength of the boys and girls
pursuing higher education. If it is less than 1 it means boys are exceeding the girls.
Gender Parity Index
Year GPI
2010-11 0.86
2011-12 0.88
2012-13 0.89
2013-14 0.92
2014-15 0.92
2015-16 0.92
2016-17 0.94
Current Status of Higher Education in India
Recently a survey report on the Higher Education in India has been published
for the year 2016-17. The survey has revealed that although there is no increase in the
proportion of those pursuing higher education, one thing has come out very clearly that
is the gap between the girls and boys pursuing higher studies is now narrowing down.
Youth in 18 to 23 years of age group account for 3,57,05,905 (25.2 per cent) means
about 3.5 crore students are taking higher education of which 53.2 per cent are boys
while 46.8 per cent are girls. In respect of pursuing Ph. D. degree courses also girls are
not lagging behind.
Compared to the population in the age group of 18-23 percentage of those taking
higher education is 25.2%. of which boys are 26% while the girls are 24.5%. Students
in the State of Maharashtra pursuing higher education is 55.8% and that of girls 44.2
per cent. This is the impact of the efforts put in by the Govt. in regard to women’s
education.
Among the 6 states where the students are pursuing higher education is higher are:
Uttar Pradesh 8164
Maharashra 6294
Karnatak 5
Rajasthan 3903
Tamilnadu 3376
Andhra Pradesh 3542
Gender Parity Index (GPI) is worked out on the strength of the boys and girls
pursuing higher education. If it is less than 1 it means boys are exceeding the girls.

5. Higher Education for Women:
Gradually Indian higher education scenario is undergoing a change. The
strength of the women pursuing higher education is increasing. Traditionally higher
education is required by both male and female. But if female gets higher education it
addresses both individual as well as social aspects. Education which increases women’s
abilities to deal with the problems of her life, her family, her society and nation.
Education increases confidence in a woman. An educated woman can easily understand
the demerits of early marriage and high birth rate. The commission on the higher education
for women, University of Madras in 1979 rightly observed: for Women and Men College
education is necessary for character formation, ability to earn, creative self-expression and
personal development.
Women are strongly motivated to pursue higher education and are more sincere
than men and therefore they succeed in completing higher education. Their
performance is also remarkable. Now number of educational institution helps the
women to complete their higher studies. Sometimes women encounter difficulty of non-
availability of the hostel accommodation. Over the years the strength of the women in
teaching faculty at all levels has significantly increased.
Today, because of the higher education by talented women, Indian women are
occupying very high position not only in India but also at the international level. To
quote a few instances, The Indian society is now proud of outstanding women achievers
like Kalpana Chawla, Arundati Bhattacharya,Sunita Williams, Barkha Dutt, and many
more. In a society where it was once unheard of for women to even be educated, women
take up the majority of grade school teachers, and many more have blossomed into
college professors with Ph D's and MD's. As women kept making these advancements
to individualism, people have taken notice, and now women are considered better
contenders for many jobs, men no longer have the full control they once fabricated.
Mrs.Chanda Kochar Managing Director of ICICI Bank, Mrs.Indra Nooyi -Chairperson
and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business
in the world by net revenue, Mrs. Sheekha Sharma is the Chief Executive Officer of the
Axis Bank Ltd. Mrs. Nirmala Seetharaman is the Defense Minister of India while Mrs.
Sushma Swaraj is the External Affairs Minister.
Although the present situation is encouraging, there is still scope for further
strengthening the participation of the women in Higher Education. Following are the
few points which I feel need to be addressed to achieve greater participation of the
women in higher education.
a) Scholarships be given to the deserving women students from poor section of the
society.
b) Specifically the inherent skills of the women, refinement of those skills be
achieved through higher education.
c) Improve law and order situation so that women can freely offer their mobility
for higher education. This has become vital on the back drop of number of
serious cases of violence against women, almost all over India.
d) Check sexual harassment within and outside institutions

6. e) So far as higher education is concerned it is suggested that the women
participation in decision making process in the educational institutions be
increased.
f) Create an atmosphere where gender inequality does not peep in while giving
promotions.
g) The govt. should take care about the women drop outs at the higher education
level.
h) Increase hostel accommodation for the women students.
i) There should be conscious attempt to change the attitude of men towards
women’s higher education and making a career in the field of her interest.
Conclusion
Women in India have immensely proved that they are not at all inferior to men
in any field, whether it is banking, defence, aviation, industry etc. The need of the time
is that the men should support the women career makers in the field of their choice. The
men should come out and shed away the attitude of domination over the women as both
men and women have been given equal rights by the Indian constitution. Since women
are also earning partners in the family the men should also shoulder some of the
domestic duties so that the women can freely and wholeheartedly pursue their careers.
Gradually this change is coming particularly in the urban and metropolitan areas.
References:
PWC report on, “Redefining Higher Education for Inclusive Development in Eastern India”,
Indian Chamber of Commerce, 2010
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