Present Status of Women in Higher Education in West Bengal: An Appraisal

Education plays a crucial role in social- economic development of a country. It can also help in the development of human civilization through reducing poverty, ignorance, exclusion, etc. So education must be provided in every section in our society especially marginalized sections who are the deprived classes in our society. After completion of elementary and secondary education, attention must be paid on higher education. Today India’s higher education system is the World’s third largest education system after U.S and China. But the enrolment ratio in higher education is not as per expectation. According to ASHE (Annual Status of Higher Education of States & UTs in India) 2013 total enrolment of students in regular mode in higher education in India is around 241.8 lakes, with 55.7% male & 44.2% female enrolment. In India women consist half of the total population, but their enrolment in higher education is lower than men’s enrolment. So on the basis of the above discussion, it can be said that that gender gap exit here in higher education system which is not a good indication for us. Present paper attempts to analyze participation and problems of women in higher education in India as well as in West Bengal. This paper also shows some suggestions on the basis of findings to reduce the gender gap in higher education.