Amaravati, August 7: Andhra Pradesh continues to occupy the last position among the five southern States in higher education enrolment, according to the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 data tabled in the Rajya Sabha. The State recorded a Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) of 35.5 per cent for the 18-23 age group, well below the southern average of 43.5 per cent, highlighting a widening gap in higher education participation within the region.
The figures relate to the academic year 2023-24, a period that substantially falls under the tenure of the then Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who headed the State Government from June 2019 to June 2024. The data therefore provide an important assessment of the higher education landscape during his administration.
Among the southern States, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest GER at 52.3 per cent, followed by Telangana at 46.6 per cent, Karnataka at 41.9 per cent and Kerala at 41.2 per cent. Andhra Pradesh remained at the bottom with 35.5 per cent. The gap between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the State carved out of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh, stands at 11.1 percentage points.
Although Andhra Pradesh remains above the national average of 30.0 per cent, the comparison with its southern neighbours presents a far less encouraging picture. Every other southern State has achieved substantially higher participation in higher education, suggesting that Andhra Pradesh has not kept pace with the region in expanding college enrolment.
Bihar, Gujarat among the worst
The national data also reveal significant disparities across the country. Bihar recorded the lowest GER among the major States at 17.7 per cent, while Gujarat stood at 26.3 per cent, below the national average and well behind every southern State.
The Curious case of Andhra Pradesh
The findings are particularly striking because Andhra Pradesh has long been regarded as one of India’s major pools of engineering, information technology and technology professionals. For decades, students from the State have secured admissions to premier institutions, supplied skilled manpower to the IT industry and contributed significantly to India’s global technology workforce.
Higher education has also remained at the centre of Andhra Pradesh’s social policy. Nearly two decades ago, the fee reimbursement programme introduced in the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh was widely regarded as a landmark reform that transformed access to professional education for students from economically weaker sections. Successive governments, irrespective of political affiliation, have continued to treat education assistance as a flagship welfare commitment.
At the same time, successive governments have claimed credit for governance reforms, welfare programmes and investment promotion. Political narratives have differed, but the promise has remained similar—that development and welfare together would strengthen opportunities for the younger generation.
The latest AISHE figures, however, present a sobering reality. Despite its reputation for producing technology talent and despite sustained public investment in educational support schemes, Andhra Pradesh remains at the bottom among the southern States in higher education enrolment. More significantly, Telangana—the other successor State of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh—has established a clear lead in college participation.
In its reply to Parliament, the Union Government said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to raise India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education to 50 per cent by 2035.
No longer afford to remain at the bottom
For Andhra Pradesh, the latest figures should serve as more than a statistical comparison. They raise fundamental questions about whether educational outcomes are keeping pace with the State’s economic aspirations. A State seeking to attract high-technology industries, artificial intelligence, electronics manufacturing and knowledge-based investments cannot afford to remain at the bottom of South India in higher education participation.
The debate over capitals, welfare schemes, investments and political rivalries often dominates public discourse. Yet the latest data suggest that the State’s long-term competitiveness will depend equally on the number of young people entering colleges and universities. Governments may change, and political priorities may evolve, but improving higher education enrolment must become a shared mission. Closing the gap with Telangana and the rest of South India will require sustained policy attention beyond electoral cycles if Andhra Pradesh is to realise its ambition of becoming a leading knowledge-driven economy.
