New Delhi: In the Lok Sabha today, Union Minister of Education Shri Dharmendra Pradhan formally presented a response to a starred question regarding higher education access for girls under the National Education Policy 2020.
The statement confirmed that the Ministry of Education is actively using policy mechanisms under NEP 2020 to broaden opportunities for young women, with a particular focus on rural and underserved areas. Central to this plan is the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, which directs funding to state public universities and colleges located in focus districts that exhibit low Gross Enrolment Ratios and high gender disparities.
To support female students, financial assistance schemes managed by the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education remain in place. These include targeted postgraduate and doctoral fellowships, special assistance for single girl children, and dedicated technical education scholarships.
Additionally, the government is focusing on infrastructure barriers, including a proposal from Union Budget 2026–27 to set up a girls hostel in every district. This step aims to offer secure residential facilities to help rural female students enroll in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs.
Data tabled in the House indicates a positive trajectory. Female enrolment in higher education reached 2.23 crore in 2023–24, up from 2.06 crore in 2021–22. Over the same period, the female Gross Enrolment Ratio rose from 28.5 to 31.2, continuing to stay ahead of the male Gross Enrolment Ratio and maintaining a Gender Parity Index above 1.