Enrolments across faculties in indian higher education: A study of enrolment patterns, factors determining them and their implications for the growth process

The paper argues that even as six decades have elapsed since determination of education policy has been transferred into the jurisdiction of a democratically elected Government committed to the objective of welfare state, the higher education sector has failed to achieve the desired degree of diversification and balance in enrolments across faculties. Though a skewed enrolment pattern in itself is not a problem, it's implication for the functioning of the socio-economic mechanism is consequential.

The present paper is organized in the following manner. Section-I lays down the background to the research questions the paper seeks to address. The current scenario of faculty-wise enrolments in India is also discussed here. Section-II attempts to identify the factors contributing to the present scenario of skewed enrolment patterns. Section-III analyses the implications of the imbalance in enrolments across faculties with respect to some selected socio-economic indicators. Section-IV emphasizes the weight-factors attached to the importance of labour market and wage distribution forces. This section also brings to light some externalities which creep into the enrolment trends, anticipating the fruits in terms of wages/stability/opportunities in the labour market. Section-V is in the nature of a brief conclusion.