Engineering Education and Indian Students' Perception on Environment and Sustainable Development: A Comprehensive Study and Analysis

Environmental issues and sustainable development are becoming increasingly vital topics in today's global context, necessitating a thorough understanding of public perceptions and attitudes towards these critical concerns. This conference paper presents a comprehensive survey report and analysis that investigates students' perceptions of environmental issues and sustainable development. The study aimed to assess the awareness, knowledge, and attitudes of students, who are pivotal stakeholders in fostering sustainable practices and shaping the future. To accomplish this, a structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among a diverse sample of students from multi-disciplinary engineering students hailing from urban localities across Tamil Nadu state in India. The survey for data collection comprised a range of questions covering multiple dimensions, including environmental awareness, knowledge of sustainable development principles and personal behaviors. It was an online poll
$(\mathrm{n}=36)$
including NEP (New Ecological Paradigm) scales as well as self-reported behavior assessments. The results of the survey revealed valuable insights into student views on environmental and sustainability concerns. The findings indicated a moderate to high level of awareness among the surveyed students, with varying degrees of knowledge and attitudes toward sustainable practices. Moreover, the analysis shed light on the factors influencing the perspectives of students, including educational background, environmental education and awareness, personal experiences, locus of control and environmental responsibility and exposure to environmental initiatives. By fostering a deeper understanding of the viewpoint of students, this study aims to contribute to the broader goal of creating environmentally conscious and responsible citizens, capable of addressing the complex challenges facing our planet.