HYDERABAD: Even as Telangana continues to rank among the better-performing states in higher education across several indicators, the latest All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023-24 has highlighted a key concern — the limited transition of students to postgraduate education and the need to strengthen research-oriented learning.
According to the survey, 76.8% of students enrolled in higher education are pursuing undergraduate programmes, while only 12.9% are enrolled in postgraduate courses. The trend indicates that a significant number of graduates are not progressing to advanced studies. The report also noted that postgraduate enrolment remains concentrated in select disciplines, with Social Sciences accounting for 18.6% and Management 18.2% of PG enrolment nationally, while research-intensive fields continue to attract fewer students.
The survey also pointed to a broader structural challenge, with nearly 70% of colleges across the country, including Telangana, being privately managed.
For Telangana, which has institutions such as Osmania University, the University of Hyderabad and JNTU-
Hyderabad, along with several private universities, the declining preference for postgraduate education has emerged as a concern.
Educationists attributed the trend to factors such as early entry into the job market, migration of students for overseas education and limited research opportunities. They cautioned that unless postgraduate enrolment improves, the state could face a shortage of skilled professionals for a knowledge-driven economy.
Educationist M Ravinder said: “Telangana needs to expand scholarships, research fellowships and industry-linked master’s programme to improve enrolment.”
Acknowledging the need for reforms, the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) has recently planned a revision of PG syllabi for the academic year 2026-27. The move aims to make PG programmes more industry-relevant and research-oriented as the existing syllabus has remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade.
