A Study of Social Disparity in Higher Education in India

Vini Sivanandan, Gokhale Institute of Politics & Economics, India
Perianayagam Arokiasamy, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Higher Education is considered as an important aspect of social and economic wellbeing. The present paper is an attempt to assess the educational development of different social groups in India. By using Theil Index we measure the extent in disparity of socially and economically backward communities such as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes of India in higher education vis-à-vis other groups. The main objective of the paper is to asses the extent of disparity in the age group eighteen to twenty nine for different social groups at higher level of technical and general education by gender, region and household types. Data from National Sample Survey 55th round on socio-economic survey were used to measure disparity across and within social groups, the index was also used to examine whether inter or intra group disparity is more prominent. Initial findings suggested disparities among social groups but intra group disparity was much prominent than inter group disparity.