Inter-Generational and Regional Differentials in Higher-Level Education in India
This paper highlights geographic, gender and social differentials in access to higher-level education (HLE) in India. The analysis is based on rare data from the 64th round NSSO survey 2007-08, namely ‘Participation and Expenditure in Education’. As expected, the current-generation (22-35 years old) enrolment has considerably improved over the pastgeneration for all sub-sections of the population across India. The prevalence of HLE in the English language, penetration of Technical HLE (HTE), the role of the private sector and associated costs across six different regions and socio-religious communities (SRCs) are explored. Southern India offers better opportunities as evident from higher prevalence of HLE, HTE, English as medium of instruction, and higher private institutional access. While differentials do exist, the Southern region HLE scenario is more socially inclusive compared to all other regions in India. The cost of education in English, HTE and HLE in private institutions is substantially higher across India.
It is also evident that regional and SRC differentials are enormous. The differentials have evolved as the combined effects of base-level differences as found in above 36-year group, which deepen due to continued differentiation in levels among the current generation. Further deepening has occurred due to the interactive effects of regions with SRCs. Interactions with place of residence and gender also present a highly differentiated, complex, and compounding picture of iniquitous access to higher-level education in India.