The communities under theScheduled Tribesare leading the way in girls education with the highest of 115 girls for every 100 boys enrolled in the higher education institutes, says the higher education department report on enrolments. The worst female-male ratio came at 93 girls enrolled for every 100 boys from Scheduled Caste communities. TheSTcommunities have made a major jump from 30 girls in 2005-06, completely reversing the trend in fifteen years.

The figures are testimony to the fast-changing mindset of the orthodox communities in the state. A higher enrolment means higher job opportunities. In our research papers, it is proven that an educated family gives away orthodoxy, leading to overall development including liberation of Women, saidRashmi Jain, head of department, Sociology. The Average ratio of girls to boys was 105:100 in 2020-21.

Experts say that state policies like opening only girls colleges and free Education for girls, along with several scholarships schemes, turn out to be game changers. Of 322 government colleges, 60 are only girls colleges, especially in blocks that are dominated by the communities known for poor girls education.

Meanwhile, humanities continue to have a lions share in enrolments with 66.41% of the total enrolments in higher education in social sciences. The next share of 24.07% goes to science, while commerce stood third with 7.22% enrolments.