309 overseas students in state

Orissa scores in nursing, polytechnic courses, as per a govt survey 

New Delhi: Orissa has 309 foreign students pursuing different courses in the state’s educational institutions, according to an All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) for 2016-17 released by the HRD Ministry Friday.
As per the report, of the 309 foreign students, 276 are males and 33 are females. The break-up of their studies is: PhD: 28; PG: 46; under graduate: 229; diploma: six. These figures are based on the information furnished by the states and educational institutions in the survey.
The report also says that Orissa is among the top eight states when it comes to hosting the maximum number of polytechnic students — 85,273 — and it is also among the top five states in the country in terms of the highest enrolment of nursing students (16,400).
Gender disparity is also evident when it comes to the strength of faculty members in the educational institutions in the state. As per the report, among the non-teaching staff in Orissa, 79 per cent are male while 21 per cent are female.
Similarly, most of the teaching posts in higher education are dominated by men and they comprise almost double the strength in teaching in different categories. However, when it comes to tutors/demonstrators, women outnumbered men in the state.
The Gross Enrolment Ratio, on the other hand, has increased subsequently in the state from 16.3 per cent to 21 per cent in 2016-17. The survey has taken into consideration students aged 18-23 years.

Gender Index at 7-year-low
On the other hand, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students in higher education in Orissa has now touched its 7-year-low figures. As per the report, Orissa has been in the bottom three states in the country when it comes to the GPI (0.73) of SC students pursuing higher education in the state and among the bottom four when it comes to lowest GPI (0.74) among ST students.

PNN