North Indian Muslims lag South in higher studies: Report

KOCHI: Muslim students in South Indian states are far beter than their north Indian counterparts in geting enrolled for higher education, according to a study titled ‘State of Muslim Education in India.’

Despite the high Muslim population, enrolment in higher education is significantly low in the states of Utar Pradesh, Bihar, etc., according to the report published in The Wire. The study was published by former professor Arun C. Mehta, who was leading the Educational Management Information System (EMIS) at the National University of Educational Planning & Administration (NIEPA).

From 1,739,218 Muslim students enrolled in higher education in 2016-17 in South Indian states and Union territories (UTS), the number increased to 2,100,860 students in 2019-20. However, there was a decline of 8.53 per cent in the following year, as the number of Muslim enrolments in higher education stood at 1,921,713 - a drop of 179,147 students.

The Muslim students’ Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) national average between the age group 18 and 23 was 8.41 per cent. Women performed well with a higher GER of 9.43 per cent compared to males’ 8.44 per cent.

Further, the GER of Muslim students in seven southern states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana and UTS were higher. Telangana topped the chart with a GER of nearly 34 per cent, followed by Tamil Nadu, which lies at around 28 per cent, the study found out. Kerala, however, recorded that 20 per cent of Muslim students made it to higher studies. But women performed well here, too, with 25 per cent, leaving a huge 10 per cent margin against males.

Karnataka follows Kerala with 15.78 per cent of students enrolled from the Muslim community, while Andhra Pradesh botomed the list with a mere 10 per cent enrollment.

The 2011 census said that Andhra Pradesh has a Muslim population share of 9.56 per cent.

Among southern Union territories, 25 per cent of Muslim students of Puducherry were found enrolled in higher studies as compared to a meagre of over 4 per cent in Lakshadweep Islands. In the case of Lakshadweep, the rate is very low despite the predominantly Muslim population there, which is more than 96 per cent.