01-08-2025
Transgender enrolment in schools, colleges rises, UP, Bihar lead: Government data
India has seen a notable increase in the enrolment of transgender students in both school and higher education, according to data shared by the Ministry of Education in the Rajya data was presented in response to a question by MP Swati per the figures, the number of transgender students enroled in schools rose from just 155 in the 2021-22 academic year to 965 in 2023-24. This marks a more than six-fold increase in two
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar recorded the highest school enrolments in 2023-24, with 327 and 282 students STATES SHOW DECLINE DESPITE OVERALL GROWTHDespite the nationwide upward trend, some states witnessed a fall in saw a decline from 107 students in 2021-22 to 77 in 2023-24, while West Bengal recorded a steep drop from 211 to 62 between 2022-23 and State-wise transgender students in schoolsState/UT2021-222022-232023-24Uttar Pradesh16239327Bihar447282Rajasthan1078877Karnataka0239Maharashtra33212West Bengal021162Odisha64322Jharkhand21127Meghalaya02623Andhra Pradesh013231All India Total155880965INSTITUTIONAL ENROLMENT INCREASESA similar increase was seen in colleges and universities. As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE), the number of transgender students enroled in higher education increased from 302 in 2020-21 to 1,448 in 2022-23 (provisional).Uttar Pradesh topped this list as well, with 369 students in 2022-23, followed by Maharashtra (158), Madhya Pradesh (124), Telangana (104), and Tamil Nadu (98).Table: State-wise transgender students in colleges and universitiesState/UT2020–212021–222022–23 (P)Uttar Pradesh30172369Maharashtra16118158Madhya Pradesh976124Telangana1524104Tamil Nadu355698Rajasthan2634101Karnataka206973Kerala325554Gujarat72362Total3028771,448NEED FOR CONTINUED POLICY SUPPORTWhile the rise in enrolment is encouraging, officials and education experts emphasise that sustained efforts are needed to ensure retention and support for transgender states still report negligible or zero enrolment, including Ladakh, Nagaland, and ministry acknowledged the need for inclusive educational frameworks and has called for institutional and policy interventions to bridge regional disparities and ensure that transgender learners can access and thrive in the system.- Ends
