Women Education in India: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

In India, women education particularly at higher education level needs special attention. In this paper an attempt has been made to critically examine the reality and also to look for solutions. Girls have less access to quality education. Even in the professional courses, the number of girls is less as compared to boys. The girls from backward communities face severe discrimination. Despite reservation quota, they never get opportunity to enter a college, whatever is the course of study. Latest data show that about one in 17 Muslim girls, one in 10 Hindu girls, one in eight Sikh girls and one in six Christian girls, avail higher education. Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class girls have poorer access to higher education than higher-caste girls. Less than one in every 20 Scheduled Caste girls accesses higher education, compared with one in every five for girls from the higher castes. The imbalances in the access to higher education among Muslim, SC, ST and OBCs girls also warrant serious concern.

Keywords: Women Education, Higher Education in India, Education Policy, Government role in education

JEL Classification: I20, I21, I28