249 New Universities In 5 Years

Private universities have grown but over 70% students still attend public universities. Women's enrolment has risen 20%, Tamil Nadu has the higher GER among states.

-  Sheena Sachdeva

Over the five years between 2016-17 and 2020-21, the total number of universities in India, public and private, has risen 29% with 249 new universities established, as per the report of All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21, the latest one available. The maximum number of new universities - 90 were established 2018-19.

The growth in private universities has far outstripped that in public ones. The AISHE report shows that 58 new state public universities came up over 2016-21, a fraction of the 132 new state private universities. Despite this, public universities still account for over 70% of enrolment.

Enrolment in higher education has risen by 28.8 lakh since 2019-20, totalling 3.85 crore in 2019-20 and 4.13 crore in 2020-21. Over five years, between 2016-17 and 2020-21, it rose by 56.7 lakh.

Further, enrolment of women students in higher education has risen 20% from 2016-17 to 2020-21; that of Dalit students (Scheduled Caste) has risen 15%; of tribal students (Scheduled Tribes), 30%; and Other Backward Classes (OBC), 20%.

More universities, women's institutions

Out of 1,113 universities up by 2020-21, 657 were government-managed 235 central government and 422 state government 10 were private deemed (aided), and 446, private unaided.

A total of 132 new state private universities have come up from 2016-17 to 2020-21 and 58 new state public universities. Plus, 49 national institutes of importance; seven new central universities and one government run deemed-to-beuniversity have been added.

According to the AISHE, out of the 1,113 universities in 2020-21, there were 16 open universities, including one central, one state private and 14 public state open universities. There 112 dual mode ones.