New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): The All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022 has revealed that the total enrolment in higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased to nearly 4.33 crore in 2021-22 from 4.14 crore in 2020-21.

Among disciplines at the undergraduate (UG) level, enrolment was highest in Arts with 34.2 per cent, followed by Science (14.8 per cent), Commerce (13.3 per cent), and Engineering & Technology with 11.8 per cent.

At the postgraduate (PG) level, the maximum number of students enrolled in Social Science (21.1 per cent) followed by Science with 14.7 per cent.

The Ph.D. enrolment in 2021-22 increased by 81.2 per cent to 2.12 lakh compared to 1.17 lakh in 2014-15.

Female Ph.D. enrolment has doubled to 0.99 lakh in 2021-22 from 0.48 lakh in 2014-15.

There has been an increase of around 91 lakh in the enrolment in higher education from 3.42 crore (26.5 per cent) in 2014-15.

The Union Ministry of Education has released the AISHE report on Thursday evening.

According to the report, the female enrolment in 2021-22 increased to 2.07 crore from 2.01 crore in 2020-21.

The enrolment of SC category students was 66.23 lakh in 2021-22 as compared to 46.07 lakh in 2014-15, an increase of 44 per cent.

The enrolment of SC category female students increased to 31.71 lakh in 2021-22 from 29.01 lakh in 2020-21 and 21.02 lakh in 2014-15. There has been an increase of 51 per cent since 2014-15.

The enrolment of ST category students has increased to 27.1 lakh in 2021-22 from 16.41 lakh in 2014-15 -- an increase of 65.2 per cent.

The enrolment of OBC students has also increased to 1.63 crore in 2021-22 from 1.13 crore in 2014-15. OBC female students' enrolment has increased to 78.19 lakh in 2021-22 from 52.36 lakh in 2014-15.

The Minority student enrolment has increased to 30.1 lakh in 2021-22 from 21.8 lakh in 2014-15 an increase of 38 per cent.

The Gender Parity Index (GPI), the ratio of female gross enrolment ratio (GER) to male GER, is 1.01 in 2021-22.

The GPI has continued to be above 1 since 2017-18 that is female GER continues to be more than male GER for the fifth consecutive year.

As per AISHE 2021-22, about 78.9 per cent of students were enrolled in UG-level courses while 12.1 per cent were enrolled in PG-level courses.

In 2021-22, out of the total enrolment in UG, PG, Ph.D. and M.Phil. levels, 57.2 lakh students are enrolled in Science Stream, with female students (29.8 lakh) outnumbering male students (27.4 lakh).

Government universities constituting 58.6 per cent of total universities, contribute 73.7 per cent of total enrolment, while private universities account for 26.3 per cent of the total enrolment.

The report said that 99 per cent of universities have libraries, 88 per cent have laboratories, 93 per cent have computer centres, and 91 per cent have playgrounds.

The total number of university-level institutions registered in the country stands at 1,168, while the number of colleges is 45,473 and standalone institutions is 12,002.