1. nims university jaipur rajasthan
* Corresponding author.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22068571
Received: 13 Aug. 2026 / Revised: 14 Aug. 2026 / Accepted: 14 Aug. 2026 / Published: 23 Aug. 2026
Rural Environmental Infrastructure; Green Digital Access; Higher Education Retention; Power Grid Stability; Sustainable Public Transit; Digital Divide; Panipat District.
Abstract Student retention in higher education in rapidly developing regions increasingly depends on physical and environmental infrastructure, yet the digital divide is seldom assessed through an environmental engineering lens. This empirical research examines the influence of deficiencies in rural environmental infrastructure, including an unstable power grid, lack of green digital resources, and eco-transit challenges, on dropout levels in higher education in Panipat District, Haryana, India. Using primary data gathered during field surveys among 521 students and dropouts from 29 rural and peri-industrial villages, multivariate regression and structural equation modeling have been used for quantifying the relationship between reliability of environmental infrastructure and academic retention. Results demonstrate that more than 43% of all digital learning disruptions occurring in rural Panipat are caused by everyday power grid failures (for more than 4 hours), which limits online educational activities significantly. It has been found that there is a strong positive correlation (r=0.68, p<0.001) between solar-powered decentralized digital nodes and dropout rates. Also, lack of climate-resilient regional transit infrastructure increased the risk of dropping out by 34% among marginalized rural women due to commute difficulties and industrial microclimate pollution exposure. This study shows that there is no way in which digital educational access can be provided through the sole mechanism of distributing devices to students because it involves the creation of an environmentally engineered system. Closing the educational gap and improving educational equity in the transitioning industrial-rural areas will involve creating decentralized green power grids, solar-powered learning centers for the community, and sustainable public transportation corridors.
Keywords: Keywords: Rural Environmental Infrastructure; Green Digital Access; Higher Education Retention; Power Grid Stability; Sustainable Public Transit; Digital Divide; Panipat District.
Gaur, J., & Chhura, B. (2026). Assessing the Impact of Rural Environmental Infrastructure and Green Digital Access on Student Retention in Higher Education: A Case Study of Panipat District, India. TRB Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (TRBJMR), 1(1), 20–34. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22068571