"I don't want to be an academic anymore!" Changing perspectives on the academic profession in South India's HEIs

​This paper explores the recent changes in the Indian higher education system, the reasons for these changes and how they have influenced academics’ perceptions of their careers. It focuses on the engineering Higher Education Institutions in South India and looks at how the increasing number of institutions and the various factors associated with the Changing Academic Environment have impacted on the academics and particularly on their Research Productivity. A mixed method approach was used to collect data. The results show the negative influence of the poorly planned Changing Academic Environment on academics’ Research Productivity and, perhaps more importantly, how the academics’ perception of ‘being an academic’ is changing. The results also portray how the academics have adapted to the changes and to the increasing demands placed on them.