Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part I (2025)

Rapid advancements in science and technology have introduced unprecedented challenges for the younger generation worldwide. In response to the demands of a dynamic and competitive global landscape, cultivating a well-educated, well-trained, and highly skilled youth population has become a strategic imperative. This priority is underscored in the visionary preamble of the World Programme of Action for Youth (1995), which identifies education as a cornerstone for youth empowerment and sustainable development. Since India, home to the world’s largest adolescent population, holds a pivotal role in this global endeavour. As the principal stakeholder in shaping the future of youth, India’s educational policies and interventions carry profound implications—not only for national progress but also for global human capital development. Against this backdrop, the present study was conducted with a randomly selected sample of 200 secondary school students from both urban and rural areas of Siwan district, Bihar. To assess students’ self-concept, the Self-Concept Questionnaire developed by Dr. R. K. Saraswat (2011) was administered. Study habits were measured using the Test of Study Habits (TSHA) constructed by Dr. C. P. Mathur (1974). Academic achievement was operationalized as the percentage of marks obtained in the previous year’s grade examination. Statistical analyses confirmed all hypotheses formulated to address the study’s objectives, highlighting significant relationships among gender, locality, self-concept, study habits, and academic achievement.