Achievement Motivation of SC Students in relation to Academic Achievement and Socio-Economic Status 59 Achievement Motivation of SC Students in relation to Academic Achievement and Socio-Economic Status Dr. Nrapendra Vir Singh * This is the well known statement “Education is the fourth necessity for humans after food, clothing and shelter” acquires new meaning, in today‟s competitive world particularly in an overpopulated country like ours. Therefore, each country also Indian government is paying important consideration towards their education because their breakdown in school takes a serious loss in terms of human assets. Education is „the key‟ to the task of nation building and for providing the requisite knowledge and skills required for sustainable growth of the country economy and thereby ensure all around progress of individual, society and country. It has a considerable impact on the sharing of wealth generated, by facilitating the vertical and horizontal mobility of the educated persons. India is a multi cultural, multi lingual and multi religious country. In terms of socio-economic and educational development, it presents unique contrasts. On the one hand, there is large proportion of the population, which is socially, economically and educationally backward and deprived. While on the other end of, there is a proportion of the population that is educated, economically much advanced and high up in the social ladder. With due recognition to individual differences in ability, capability, aspiration, interest aptitude etc., it is evident that all children especially SC children are not capable of reaching the same educational standard although all of them are quite capable of being improved upon. Motivation is defined as the force that accounts for the arousal, selection, direction, and continuation of behavior in a desired way. Motivation means the desire and willingness to do something. It is a drive that compels an individual to act towards the attainment of some goal, that‟s why motivation is known as a fundamental key to all kind of achievement. The motivation Continuum discussed different types or classifications of motivation. Achievement motivation is one of them in the form or types of motivation. The Achievement motivation theory relates personal characteristics of individual and background to a need for achievement and the associated competitive drive to meet standards of excellence. According to theoretical researches by Murray (1938), McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, and Lowel (1953), and McClelland (1961), achievement motivation or need for achievement is influenced by a combination of internal factors including personal drives and external, environmental, or situational factors including expectations and pressures of relevant needs of individual and society. Achievement motivation comes when an individual‟s know that there is a need of them or when they feel their behavior is evaluated. The consequence of individual actions will be either a success or a failure in a situation and that good performance will produce a feeling of pride in accomplishment hence achievement motive may be considered as a disposition to approach when success or a capacity for taking pride in accomplishment when success at one or the activity is achieved. RATIONAL OF THE STUDY: McClelland defines achievement motivation as a basic desire to succeed and to get a task completed as effectively as possible (Hodson, 2001). McClelland explains that people * Assistant Professor, B.Ed., RGSC-BHU, Barkachha, Mirzapur