CHENNAI: While Tamil Nadu celebrates its status as a national leader in higher education with a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 52.3, a closer look at the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 reveals a troubling “tribal gap” that threatens the state’s narrative of inclusive growth.
In a state where women enrolment outnumbers men, the Scheduled Tribe (ST) community has emerged as a stark statistical outlier. According to the report, the ST male GER in Tamil Nadu stands at a robust 47.6, but the ST female GER languishes at just 38.2.
This disparity has resulted in a Gender Parity Index (GPI) of 0.80, meaning that for every 100 tribal men in the state’s colleges, there are only 80 tribal women, the lowest in the country.
This trend is particularly baffling when compared to other social groups in the state. In the Scheduled Caste (SC) category, Tamil Nadu has successfully achieved a GPI of 1.04, with female participation (45.2) actually surpassing male participation (43.5).
Furthermore, Tamil Nadu’s tribal gender gap runs contrary to the national trend. At the all-India level, ST women are participating in higher education at higher rates than ST men, reflected in a national ST GPI of 1.08.
“While the state’s overall success is commendable, the 0.80 GPI among the ST students is a red flag. Targeted policy intervention is required to address regional and institutional imbalances,” said the registrar of a state university.
