DISTRIBUTIONAL PATTERN OF SOCIAL GROUPS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF CENSUS DATA, 1991-2001

Increase in the percentage of population in the age group fifteen to twenty nine combined with a higher demand in higher education with limited resource does have its impact on the distributional pattern of educational level among various social groups of population. This study is an attempt to understand the fundamental principles of population growth and its effecting factor by social groups in India. For the present study we consider three age group 15-19 with educational level matriculation plus higher secondary and above and for the age group, 20-24, 25-29 with graduation and above as the completed educational level for the population. Projection in representation in education by social groups was made using modified logistic growth model, taking into consideration the carrying capacity and competitive factor of the population. The study shows that if we consider the average growth rate of the past two decades, the distributional pattern remained more or less the same between the social groups in representing the population with higher education. However, if we take the growth rate with the effect of carrying capacity and with competing factor, it was much more evident, the gap among the social groups was much more widening and significant with the depressed class at the lower rungs in educational achievement.