AISHE 2023–24 & Women in Higher Education | UPSCPDF

UPSCPDF Editorial Analysis: AISHE 2023–24 puts 2.24 crore women in higher education (GPI 1.08), yet PLFS 2025 shows low salaried jobs & wage gaps. GS-1 & GS-2 guide.

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Record enrolment and a seven-year female lead in the classroom — yet low salaried work and a persistent wage gap outside it. Decoding the "enrolment-to-employment" paradox through AISHE 2023–24 and PLFS 2025. The Union Ministry of Education released the AISHE reports for 2022–23 and 2023–24, recording record higher-education enrolment of 4.5 crore and a sustained female lead in the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER): 31.2 for women against 28.9 for men, with an overall GER of 30.0. The Gender Parity Index (GPI) stands at 1.08, above 1.0 for the seventh consecutive year. Women now account for 49.7% of total enrolment and their share in STEM has risen to 44%. Yet their representation in Engineering & Technology remains low at 31.1%, and labour-market outcomes lag. An editorial critique argues that policy must pivot from expanding access to securing quality employment — a concern sharpened by PLFS 2025. The debate sits squarely across GS-1 (role of women, social empowerment), GS-2