Students Enrollment in Social Work Courses in Indian Higher Educational Institutions: An Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to analyse students’ enrollment in social work courses in Indian higher educational institutions. The higher education system in India is one of the world's largest systems of its kind. There are 526 social work educational institutions and 181 Universities (20 per cent) imparting social work education and training at different levels. The data from the reports of All India Survey on Higher Education for the period of 2010-11 to 2018-19 was analysed. More than half (59.12 per cent) of the institutions are teaching undergraduate courses in social work (BSW), and more than 95 per cent are teaching postgraduate courses (MSW). Male students outnumbered female students in both courses. The share of students enrolled through distance mode of education in BSW and MSW programmes is 22 per cent and 34.09 per cent, respectively. Student enrollment at the M. Phil level has witnessed a sudden decline, but there has been a consistent increase in the Ph.D. programme. India has added around 0.36 million BSWs/MSWs in the past eight years, averaging forty-five thousand professional social workers per annum. The changes in the socio-political environment, human relationships and social space, technology, and globalisation processes and global agenda will decide the future of social work in India.