IIT Teacher Shortage: IITs Grapple with Faculty Shortage; 4,300 Posts Vacant, Reveals Central Government Report

Data indicates that thousands of faculty positions remain vacant across the country’s 23 IITs. Concerns are being raised that this shortage could impact teaching, research, and the implementation of new academic programs.

IIT Teacher Shortage: On one hand, the country’s prestigious IITs are launching new courses, increasing student intake, and expanding research activities. On the other hand, these institutions are grappling with a severe shortage of teachers. Official data reveals that thousands of faculty positions across the 23 IITs remain unfilled. Consequently, there are concerns regarding the potential impact on teaching, research, and the conduct of new academic programs. According to a report by the central government, more than 4,300 of the over 12,000 sanctioned faculty positions across all 23 IITs are vacant. This means approximately 38.4 percent of the total sanctioned posts are unfilled; in other words, nearly two out of every five faculty positions remain vacant.

Over Half of the Posts Vacant in Several IITs

The report indicates that the most significant faculty shortages have been recorded at IIT Patna and IIT Kharagpur. IIT Patna has a vacancy rate of 54.6 percent, while IIT Kharagpur stands at 51.3 percent. Additionally, there are 12 other IITs where more than one-third of the faculty positions remain vacant. The situation remains concerning even among the first-generation IITs: vacancy rates stand at 39 percent at IIT Kanpur, 38.4 percent at IIT Bombay, and 38.3 percent at IIT Delhi. Among second-generation IITs, IIT Mandi reports a vacancy rate of 39.9 percent, while third-generation IITs show vacancies of 48.4 percent at IIT Dhanbad, 45.8 percent at IIT Goa, and 42.2 percent at IIT Guwahati. However, the vacancy situation is better in some of the newer IITs. For instance, vacancy rates stand at 1.7% at IIT Dharwad, 5.88% at IIT Palakkad, 14.35% at IIT Ropar, 14.38% at IIT Tirupati, and 15.1% at IIT Bhilai.

Student numbers rising in IITs, but not faculty

IITs across the country are continuously expanding their academic programs. New and specialized courses—such as those in Artificial Intelligence, Design, and Public Policy—have been introduced at these institutes. Additionally, the government is working on a plan to add approximately 6,500 new seats across IITs by 2028–29. Amidst this expansion, the shortage of faculty is viewed as a major challenge. Currently, over 135,000 students are studying at IITs; consequently, the lack of teachers could place strain on academics, research activities, and the conduct of new courses.

Why are IIT faculty positions remaining unfilled?

According to IIT directors, the primary reason for the vacancies is the intensifying global competition for qualified researchers and educators. They note that IITs must compete with top global universities, multinational R&D organizations, and deep-tech startups; many qualified PhD candidates gravitate toward these entities due to the superior opportunities they offer. Furthermore, the IIT recruitment process is known for being highly selective. Institutes aim to hire only the most qualified candidates and prefer to keep positions vacant until a suitable applicant is found, rather than compromising on standards.