Corporate Social Responsibility as a Catalyst for Rural E-Learning: A Strategic Management Perspective

Abstract

The advent of online education in India gained momentum with the implementation of the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, aiming to extend education to all corners of the country. Despite these efforts, the penetration of e-learning remains limited, particularly in rural areas. The significance of providing education in rural regions is paramount for alleviating poverty and illiteracy, fostering economic growth, and promoting social, cultural, and political development. The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the need for online learning during crises. However, rural education faces numerous economic, social, infrastructural, and technological challenges, impacting the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process.This research investigates the challenges faced by students from rural areas in pursuing higher education online, identifying both physical and psychological barriers. Physical obstacles include inadequate infrastructure, a lack of technical support, poor network connectivity, and the unavailability of necessary devices, all of which hinder access to high-speed internet. These factors significantly impact students' psychological wellbeing, influencing their behaviour and engagement in academic studies. Key issues, including changes in attitude, perception, learning processes, concentration, anxiety levels, motivation, and social interaction, contribute to academic disengagement. Focusing on higher education institutions and students in the Management field in the rural Vidarbha region, this study examines the determinants of effective online education and their relationship with psychological wellbeing and academic disengagement. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed, and 310 responses were analysed using SPSS and AMOS. The research also aims to propose solutions to improve rural online education, such as creating data banks for recorded lectures, providing study materials and question banks, and establishing recording facilities for teachers as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.