10 lakh school teacher posts vacant due to 6-year hiring freeze; Parl panel says NEP policy 'not feasible'

Indian schools are facing a crippling shortage of teachers, with around 10 lakh teaching posts lying vacant in the country — of which most, about 7.5 lakh, are unfilled in primary sections. The Parliamentary Standing Committee report also warned about alarming 30–50% vacancies in central government-run schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs).

The 368th report on the functioning of the National Council for Teacher Education ( NCTE ) was tabled by the Parliamentary Standing Committee recently. The panel observed that there are around 10 lakh vacancies of teachers in Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)-funded schools, including around 7.5 lakh at the elementary and primary levels.

Despite repeated directives to fill up the vacancies in a time-bound manner, the committee said that the teacher shortage is “worsening day by day due to retirements of teachers and due to the absence of a permanent recruitment policy.”

There are 54%, 43%, and 89% vacancies in Group A, B, and C posts in NCTE, respectively, excluding officials deployed against deputation vacancies, it noted.

Citing the impact of non-recruitment of qualified teachers on overall education, the committee has recommended the Department of School Education and Literacy “to stop contractual appointment of teachers, which undermines the Constitutional provision of reservation in government jobs to SC, ST, OBC, EWS, PwD, etc.”

Also read NCTE’s one-year B.Ed, M.Ed plan will dilute teacher training, produce ‘mere technicians’: Experts

No recruitment since 2019

The Parliamentary panel took serious note of the fact that the department “has not recruited permanent teaching, non-teaching, and administrative staff since 2019 till June 15, 2025.” Out of 14.8 lakh schools, the Government of India administers just about 3,000 schools.

States responded by saying that short-term contracts were temporary measures taken by the department to mitigate the shortage of teachers. As per the data, the number of contractual appointments on non-teaching staff in NCTE was four in 2019, nil in 2020, three in 2021, 15 in 2022, 20 in 2023, 34 in 2024, and 13 in 2025 till June 2025.

During this period, “the NCTE did not recruit any permanent teaching or non-teaching staff,” the committee said.

Taking note, the panel directed the department “to take follow-up actions with NCTE and ensure all vacant permanent and regular posts are filled by March 2026, instead of on a contractual or deputation basis, to achieve the goal of NEP 2020 and teacher training.”

Also read Over 12,000 teaching posts vacant in Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas: Education Ministry

NEP schooling structure ‘not feasible’

The NEP 5+3+3+4 schooling structure is “not practically feasible” as teacher recruitment rules vary across states. The new education policy, which replaces the old 10+2 system, recommends a separate set of teachers for pre-primary and Classes 1–2, and another set of teachers for Classes 3–5.

Contrary to the NEP policy, the parliamentary panel suggested “two broad levels of teacher education – pre-primary/primary levels for pre-primary and primary who can teach all subjects at this stage, and middle and secondary level for subject-specific teachers.”

The committee recommended the department to review the Draft NCTE Regulations, 2025 in view of the concerns regarding “hyperspecialization and segmentation of teachers’ education” and implement the two broad levels to “reduce deployment inflexibilities and imbalances in demand/supply of teachers.”

“A primary teacher can teach Classes 1–5 with a focus on foundational skills, while secondary teachers can cover Classes 6–12 with subject expertise,” it clarified.