Declining Student Motivation and Classroom Attendance inIndian Higher Education: A Critical Analysis of Government Policy, Institutional Practices, Employability, and Stakeholder Responsibilities

Abstract

Higher education in India is presently undergoing a significant transformation. While enrolment in higher educational institutions has expanded over the last two decades, regular classroom participation, academic engagement, and students' intrinsic motivation towards learning have shown noticeable signs of decline in many colleges and universities. The issue is particularly visible in conventional undergraduate programmes where teachers increasingly report poor attendance, limited classroom interaction, declining academic curiosity, and growing disinterest among students. This paper critically examines the multidimensional causes responsible for declining classroom attendance and weakening academic motivation among higher education students in India. Rather than attributing the problem to students alone, the study argues that it is the cumulative outcome of structural, institutional, economic, technological, and social changes. The study analyses the roles of government policies, curriculum design, employability concerns, contractual employment patterns, examination credibility, commercialisation of education, technological disruption, parental involvement, teacher preparedness, and students' own attitudes towards learning. The paper further argues that higher education can no longer be viewed merely as a process of degree acquisition. In the twenty-first century, educational institutions are expected to develop employability, innovation, critical thinking, digital competence, ethical values, and lifelong learning abilities. However, a widening gap between classroom learning and labour market expectations has reduced students' confidence in the practical value of formal education. Consequently, many students increasingly perceive classroom attendance as optional rather than essential. The study proposes a comprehensive stakeholder-based framework in which governments, educational institutions, teachers, parents, industries, and students collectively share responsibility for restoring confidence in higher education. It concludes that sustainable educational reform requires strengthening academic quality, curriculum relevance, ethical governance, technological integration, employability-oriented pedagogy, and collaborative institutional accountability.