The enrollment of girl students in schools increased by 31 per cent between 2014-15 and 2021-22, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Mr Pradhan shared this information while responding to queries from MPs during the question hour. He also disclosed a 50 per cent rise in the enrollment of female students from the Scheduled Caste (SC).
The education minister attributed these positive outcomes to various initiatives launched by the government led by Prime Minister Modi. He noted that since the takeover of the Narendra Modi government in 2014, the total number of students enrolled in schools and universities has increased by 26.5 per cent.
The minister provided additional details on specific growth rates, highlighting a 44 per cent increase for Scheduled Caste (SC) students and an impressive 65 per cent for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students. Notably, tribal female students witnessed a substantial 80 per cent increase in enrollment since the Modi government came into power.
Mr Pradhan pointed out that the implementation of the National Education Policy resulted in a reverse migration of students. He stated, "In the years following the Modi government's tenure and the policy's execution, there was a significant 25-26 per cent surge in student enrollments, encompassing both schools and higher education."
Highlighting specific demographics, he mentioned a 45 per cent increase in enrollment among Muslim girls. The minister credited the National Education Policy as a pivotal step towards the country's progress, envisioning India as a developed nation by 2047.
In response to a question, Mr Pradhan expressed the belief that India's essence lies in its languages, and efforts have been made by the Modi government to provide education in mother tongues. The minister stated, "We believe that the essence of India is embedded in its languages, and the Modi government is actively working towards delivering education in native languages."
Pradhan noted that in states such as Madhya Pradesh, Hindi is the medium for providing medical and law education. He mentioned, "In Pune, Maharashtra, there's an engineering college where education is conducted in Marathi, and students will begin graduating from it this year."
Pradhan highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's language promotion efforts, citing the Kashi-Tamil Sangamam and the statement affirming that all Indian languages hold national significance.