Here’s why students can embrace Humanities and Arts

Darshan B M

In recent years, Indian universities have witnessed an unsettling trend where courses in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS) are struggling to attract students. While engineering, computer science, medicine, and management seats often fill up quickly, many AHSS programmes report vacant seats semester after semester.

This decline is not just a matter of enrolment figures but reflects a deeper shift in societal values, policy priorities, and employment aspirations. The situation warrants serious reflection, as it carries implications not only for universities but also for the future of India as a knowledge-based society.

Why students are turning away

One of the key reasons behind the decline of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences is the dominance of market-driven choices. Students and their families are increasingly viewing higher education as an investment that must yield quick returns. Programmes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are promoted as secure pathways to employment, while Arts and Humanities are often dismissed as “non-professional” courses with little economic value.

This perception has led many to abandon disciplines that focus on culture, history, politics, or society, regardless of their broader significance.

Equally concerning is the policy and institutional neglect of AHSS. Government funding and institutional priorities have leaned heavily toward science and technology, leaving the humanities and social sciences underfunded and undervalued. Research grants, innovation hubs, and infrastructure initiatives disproportionately support technical fields.

In many universities, AHSS departments struggle to update curricula, recruit qualified faculty, or integrate emerging areas such as digital humanities, media industries, or cultural studies. The absence of institutional support further discourages student interest.

Social attitudes

Social attitudes also play a crucial role. In India, careers in engineering, medicine, and civil services still enjoy prestige, while humanities and social sciences are viewed as last-resort options for those unable to secure admission into more competitive courses.

This stigma deters bright students, weakening the intellectual ecosystem that thrives on diversity of talent and perspectives. The result is a vicious cycle in which low enrolment leads to declining quality, which in turn reinforces the perception of limited value.

Another factor is employment anxiety. Career pathways for AHSS graduates are less visible compared to technical fields. While many succeed in academia, media, policy, development, and creative industries, the lack of structured placements and industry linkages makes these options uncertain. Without robust career guidance, students hesitate to pursue these fields, even if they have the aptitude or passion.

Why these disciplines still matter

Despite the challenges, the importance of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences cannot be overstated. These disciplines cultivate critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and civic responsibility. They prepare citizens to engage with complex social and political issues, equipping them with the ability to question, reflect, and participate meaningfully in democracy. In a country as diverse and dynamic as India, the value of such skills is immeasurable.

AHSS also provides the tools to understand culture, society, and human behaviour in ways technology alone cannot. Issues of inequality, governance, environment, and identity require nuanced perspectives that the Humanities and Social Sciences uniquely offer.

Globally, the creative and knowledge economy is expanding, with industries such as media, design, publishing, and entertainment becoming major employers. Humanities graduates, with their imagination, communication skills, and cultural literacy, are well placed to thrive in these fields.

The future of education lies in interdisciplinarity. The boundaries between STEM and AHSS are becoming increasingly blurred. Artificial Intelligence requires ethicists, urban planning demands sociologists, and healthcare depends on psychologists and anthropologists.

Excluding AHSS from the national education agenda risks leaving future professionals ill-equipped to handle the ethical and social dimensions of their work. Integration, rather than separation, is the path forward.

For AHSS to regain its rightful place, urgent steps are needed. Universities must modernise curricula, build stronger partnerships with industries and civil society, and provide effective career counselling.

Policymakers should ensure adequate funding and visibility, while society must recognise education not only as job training but also as a nation-building endeavour.

The decline of AHSS in India is more than empty classrooms. It signals the narrowing of educational vision. A nation that sidelines these fields risks producing graduates without empathy, cultural understanding, or critical thinking.

(The author is an assistant professor in a Bengaluru-based college)