1,596 Posts Vacant in NCERT and 933 in CBSE; Parliamentary Committee Expresses Concern Over Vacancy Levels
The committee found that as of October 2025, against 2,844 sanctioned posts in NCERT, the actual staff strength was 1,248, leaving 1,596 posts vacant. Of these vacancies, 145 were in academic roles, 131 in school teaching, 916 in administration, and 404 in support staff positions.
A parliamentary committee has expressed serious concern regarding the acute staff shortage in two key school education bodies: the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). According to the committee's report, 1,596 posts are vacant in NCERT, while 933 posts remain unfilled in CBSE. The staff shortage in these two major education bodies was highlighted in the 10th report of the Estimates Committee (2026-27), which examined budgetary and policy aspects related to providing affordable and quality education in the country, including a review of the CBSE.
Committee Expresses Concern Over Vacant Posts
The parliamentary committee noted that more than half of the sanctioned posts in NCERT are vacant, while 44 percent of posts in CBSE remain unfilled. The committee expressed concern over the large number of vacancies in NCERT, given its pivotal role in shaping educational policies in India, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. It found that as of October 2025, against 2,844 sanctioned posts in NCERT, the actual staff strength was 1,248, resulting in 1,596 vacancies. According to a report by the news agency PTI, the vacancies comprised 145 academic posts, 131 school teaching positions, 916 administrative roles, and 404 support staff positions.
933 Vacancies at CBSE
The committee holds the view that the Ministry needs to pay immediate attention to the large number of vacancies at the NCERT—the apex body for education—and make sincere efforts to fill them. The committee also expressed concern regarding staff vacancies at another top education body, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Out of 2,117 sanctioned posts, a total of 933 (44 percent) are vacant. Among these 933 vacancies, the shortage is most acute in Group 'C' support staff, with 595 posts lying vacant. The committee also voiced concern that the CBSE currently relies on temporary and contractual staff to handle its day-to-day operations.
Threat to the Quality of Board Examinations
The committee further stated that this shortage of permanent staff could seriously jeopardize the security, quality, and smooth conduct of major national board examinations. The panel strongly recommended that the CBSE "stop relying on temporary contractual staff for sensitive examination-related tasks" and take necessary measures to fill all vacant posts through expedited recruitment in a time-bound manner. The committee also noted that the CBSE is a self-financed autonomous body and receives no grants from the Ministry. It highlighted that the number of schools affiliated with the CBSE has risen from 3,787 in 1992-93 to 31,234 in 2024-25 (as of October 8, 2025). The committee also took note of the CBSE's expansion, as it now manages operations through 25 regional offices and five sub-regional offices to cater to the needs of a growing student population. According to a PTI report, "By 2025, the number of students in Class 12 will rise to over 17 lakh, and in Class 10, it will exceed 23 lakh."
