Higher Education Differential Along Gender and Socioeconomic Dimensions in India

Abstract

Using a recent national level survey data, we have systematically investigated the pattern of higher education differential along gender, socioeconomic and geographical dimensions in India. We have found a salient differential in the attainment of higher education across gender subgroups, social groups and also across the quintiles of economic variables. We have further investigated the evolution of the higher education differential over different time frames in the recent history of India. These analyses show that while gender based differential is fast declining over time, the social group based differential seems to be significantly persistent.

Keywords: Higher Education, India, IHDS, Gender, Caste, Reservation Policy in India, Econometrics, Logistic Regression

JEL Classification: I21, I23, I24, I28, J71, J78