New Delhi- West Bengal's higher education sector shows concerning trends according to NITI Aayog's latest report "Expanding Quality Higher Education through States and State Public Universities." The state's gross enrollment ratio stands at 26.3 percent as of 2021-22, placing it at 18th position among Indian states, though this marks an improvement from 13.6 percent in 2011-12.

More worryingly, West Bengal's total state expenditure on higher education as a percentage of gross state domestic product is just 0.43 percent, significantly lower than smaller northeastern states which maintain around one percent.

While the state shows strong penetration of public universities, with over 80 percent of higher education students enrolled in state-run institutions, its teacher-to-student ratio remains problematic. At 29:1 in 2021-22, West Bengal ranks 23rd among Indian states on this parameter, though this represents an improvement from the 33:1 ratio recorded in 2011-12 when the Trinamool Congress government first took office.

These findings follow another recent NITI Aayog assessment, the "Fiscal Health Index: 2025," which placed West Bengal at 16th position among 18 states evaluated. That report examined key fiscal indicators including revenue mobilization, expenditure quality, and debt index for the 2022-23 financial year, painting a broader picture of the state's economic challenges across multiple sectors.