Karnataka has scored the second rank in the list of states with the most number of PhD holders. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), 5020 PhDs were awarded in Karnataka making it the state with 2nd highest number of PhDs in the country.
A total of 40,813 students were awarded PhDs in India out of which 23,765 were boys, and 17,048 were girls. Tamil Nadu topped the list with 5,844 PhDs, and Uttar Pradesh had the third-highest, 3996 PhDs granted in the year 2018.
The other states to feature on the list is Assam (3,676), Andhra Pradesh (2,615), Rajasthan (1,913) and West Bengal (1,898). The survey also found more women securing PhDs than men in Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal.
It was a well-predicted fact for Karnataka to have the second-highest number of doctorates as the state has third-largest number of colleges, after Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Bengaluru Urban district itself has 880 colleges, which is the highest in the country for an area. The city has 53 colleges for every one lakh population eligible in the 18-23 age group. This ratio is a little less than double the national average which is 28-meaning that there are 28 colleges for every one lakh of the population eligible in the 18-23 age group, across India.
Extensive research and regular check on the institutes have proved to be a key factor for improving their national and global ranking. Universities have been encouraging on ground research activities in colleges. Some have also reduced the fee for international students willing to pursue a PhD and have increased their stipend.
According to Prof S Sadagopan- director of IIT- Bengaluru, “Karnataka has a culture of promoting science — from the time of C V Raman. Thanks to the promotion of arts, science and culture by Mysore rulers, we have a culture of scholarships and valuing the importance of research. With the excellent foundation and a large number of private colleges and universities now, it’s not surprising Karnataka produces so many PhDs. We must watch for quality, though.”
Despite the proud achievement, Karnataka seeks tremendous improvement in its gross enrollment ratio. The GER (gross enrollment ratio) determines the number of eligible students in an age bracket enrolling for a course. Currently, the national GER is 26.3, and that of Karnataka is 29. Many states have a far better GER than Karnataka, to name a few – Sikkim with an average of 54, Tamil Nadu (49) Puducherry (46 each), Himachal Pradesh (40), Uttarakhand (39).
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