ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on available data from the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) and other sources to explore the presence and performance of women in the MPhil and PhD programmes, in faculty positions and in publications. The NEP proposes changes in the higher education structure with discontinuation of the MPhil degree. MPhil enrolments suggest that this has been a popular choice for women. The likely reasons behind the increasing participation of women in MPhil degrees which may or may not progress into a PhD degree include shorter time commitment and availability of regular and permanent teaching opportunities, with a suggestion that greater value may be placed on job security than research opportunities, and expected compatibility with family responsibilities. These explanations will be examined through analysis of available literature and a few interviews. The likely influences on the observed patterns include institutional factors and constraints within the space of academia. These concerns are discussed with reference to marriage, family formation and the demands of social reproduction that influence the nature of everyday life. This chapter concludes by drawing out the ways in which apparent conflicts or roadblocks could be addressed.
