The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is facing a severe staff shortage, with 1,596 posts lying vacant against a sanctioned strength of 2,844, according to a parliamentary committee report that has raised concerns about the institution’s ability to effectively carry out its academic, policy and administrative responsibilities.
The staffing crisis has also extended to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where 933 of 2,117 sanctioned posts remain vacant. The parliamentary panel has expressed particular concern about CBSE’s reliance on temporary and contractual personnel for its operations, warning that the shortage of permanent employees could create risks for the safety, quality and smooth conduct of major national-level board examinations.
The findings are contained in the Tenth Report of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on Budget and Policy Aspects for Providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of Central Board of Secondary Education. The report was presented in the Lok Sabha this week.
The committee has called for urgent action to fill vacancies at both institutions, with particular emphasis on NCERT because of its central role in shaping India’s school education policies, curricula and academic frameworks.
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NCERT Has More Than Half of Sanctioned Posts Vacant
According to the committee’s findings, NCERT had an actual staff strength of only 1,248 employees as of October 2025, compared with a sanctioned strength of 2,844 posts.
This leaves 1,596 posts vacant, meaning more than half of the institution’s sanctioned positions were unfilled.
The vacancies are spread across several categories of employment, highlighting that the shortage is not confined to one particular department.
The committee’s figures show:
- 145 vacancies in academic positions
- 131 vacancies in school teaching positions
- 916 vacancies in ministerial positions
- 404 vacancies in ancillary staff
The scale of the shortfall has prompted the parliamentary panel to describe the situation as requiring “urgent attention.”
For an institution such as NCERT, which performs academic, research, curriculum-development and policy-support functions, prolonged vacancies can have implications beyond routine administration.
Why NCERT Staffing Is Considered Critical
NCERT occupies a central position in India’s school education system. It develops educational resources, undertakes research, supports curriculum development and plays an important role in implementing national-level education reforms.
Its responsibilities have become particularly significant following the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which calls for substantial changes in school education, including curriculum reform, competency-based learning and a greater focus on multidisciplinary and holistic education.
The parliamentary committee specifically highlighted NCERT’s role in the implementation of NEP 2020 and the development of curriculum frameworks such as the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCFFS) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE).
With more than half of its sanctioned positions vacant, questions arise over whether the organisation has sufficient permanent manpower to carry out its expanding responsibilities efficiently.
The issue is not limited to the number of employees. Different categories of vacancies can affect different aspects of NCERT’s functioning, from academic research and curriculum development to administrative support and institutional operations.
916 Ministerial Posts Vacant at NCERT
The largest component of the NCERT vacancy figure is in the ministerial category, which accounts for 916 vacant posts.
This represents a significant administrative gap within the organisation.
Ministerial and administrative personnel perform essential functions that support the day-to-day operation of large public institutions. Recruitment, documentation, financial processes, correspondence, record management and coordination across departments all depend on adequate administrative staffing.
The committee’s findings indicate that the shortage therefore extends well beyond academic roles.
NCERT has 145 academic vacancies and 131 school-teaching vacancies, while another 404 ancillary positions remain unfilled.
The distribution suggests that the staffing challenge is broad-based and requires a comprehensive recruitment strategy rather than isolated appointments in individual departments.
CBSE Also Faces Major Staff Shortage
The parliamentary committee has also raised concerns about the staffing situation at the Central Board of Secondary Education.
According to the report, CBSE has 933 vacant posts out of 2,117 sanctioned positions, meaning approximately 44 per cent of its approved workforce remains unfilled.
The largest share of the vacancies is in Group C support staff, with 595 positions vacant.
While staffing shortages can affect routine administrative operations, the committee expressed particular concern about the implications for CBSE’s examination-related work.
CBSE conducts major national examinations, including the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations, which involve millions of students, schools, teachers and examination personnel across India and abroad.
Panel Raises Concern Over Contractual Staff
One of the most significant concerns raised by the parliamentary committee relates to CBSE’s increasing dependence on temporary and contractual employees.
The panel has warned against relying on non-permanent personnel for sensitive examination-related responsibilities.
According to the committee, such dependence could create risks for the safety, quality and smooth conduct of major national board examinations.
Board examinations involve confidential question papers, candidate information, evaluation systems, examination centres and result-processing mechanisms. They therefore require strong administrative controls and clearly defined accountability structures.
The committee’s concern suggests that permanent staffing is viewed as important for maintaining institutional continuity and ensuring that sensitive examination functions are handled under appropriate safeguards.
Committee Calls for Fast-Tracked Recruitment
The parliamentary panel has recommended urgent steps to address the staffing shortages at both NCERT and CBSE.
One of the key recommendations is that vacant posts should be filled through fast-tracked recruitment.
The committee has also called on the Department of School Education and Literacy to take appropriate measures to accelerate the recruitment process.
For NCERT, the panel has recommended that filling vacant positions should be treated as a priority because of the organisation’s role as an apex institution involved in education policy and curriculum development.
The committee has further urged CBSE to reduce its reliance on temporary contractual workers, particularly for sensitive examination-related functions.
Education Spending Remains Below NEP 2020 Target
The staffing issue is only one part of the broader concerns highlighted in the parliamentary report.
The committee also examined government spending on education and noted that combined spending by the Centre and states remains at 4.1 per cent of GDP.
This is below the 6 per cent of GDP level envisaged under NEP 2020.
The gap between actual education expenditure and the policy target has broader implications for infrastructure, teacher recruitment, school expansion, learning resources and educational access.
The committee’s observations suggest that increasing investment will be important if India is to meet its stated objectives for improving the quality and accessibility of school education.
Department of School Education Gets 1.52 Per Cent of Budget
The committee also highlighted the share of government expenditure allocated to the Department of School Education and Literacy.
According to the report, the department received only 1.52 per cent of the total budgetary outlay in 2024-25.
The figure has raised questions about whether the resources allocated to school education are sufficient to address the multiple challenges facing the sector.
These include teacher shortages, school infrastructure, curriculum reform, digital learning, student retention and the expansion of secondary and higher-secondary education.
The committee’s findings place the NCERT and CBSE staffing crisis within this wider question of resource allocation and institutional capacity.
Sharp Decline in Schools at Higher Levels
Another concern highlighted in the report is the significant difference in the number of schools available at different stages of education.
The country has approximately 911,032 primary schools, but the number falls sharply to around 90,866 higher-secondary schools.
This means that students have significantly fewer institutions available as they progress through the education system.
The committee has called for more schools to be upgraded to the higher-secondary level, particularly in regions where access to such institutions remains limited.
The issue is important because the transition from primary to secondary and higher-secondary education represents a critical stage in a student’s educational journey.
Enrolment Falls Sharply at Higher-Secondary Level
The committee also highlighted a significant decline in student enrolment as children progress through the school system.
According to the figures cited in the report, enrolment falls from approximately 61.85 million students at the primary level to 16.42 million at the higher-secondary level.
The report indicates that this represents a substantial decline in participation before students complete higher secondary education.
The committee has therefore called attention to the need for stronger measures to improve retention and expand access to schools at higher educational levels.
The decline may reflect a combination of factors, including access to schools, economic pressures, geographic barriers, social circumstances and the availability of institutions offering higher-secondary education.
Regional Disparities Also Highlighted
The parliamentary panel has also drawn attention to regional disparities in enrolment ratios.
Not all parts of the country face identical educational challenges. Some regions may have relatively strong access to schools and higher enrolment, while others face shortages of institutions, infrastructure and educational resources.
Addressing these differences requires targeted policy interventions rather than a uniform approach across all states and regions.
Upgrading existing schools, improving transport and infrastructure, strengthening teacher availability and increasing access to higher-secondary education could form part of a broader strategy to improve retention.
Why NCERT Vacancies Matter for Education Reform
The NCERT staffing shortage takes on added importance because the institution is involved in some of the country’s most significant education reforms.
NEP 2020 envisages substantial changes in the way students learn, including greater emphasis on foundational learning, critical thinking, experiential education, vocational exposure and multidisciplinary approaches.
The development and implementation of curriculum frameworks require academic expertise, research capacity and administrative coordination.
If large numbers of sanctioned posts remain vacant for prolonged periods, institutional capacity could be affected at a time when the education system is undergoing major transformation.
The parliamentary committee’s call for urgent recruitment therefore reflects concerns about maintaining the capacity required to support these reforms.
CBSE Staffing and Examination Integrity
For CBSE, the concern is closely connected with the scale and sensitivity of its examination responsibilities.
The board’s examinations affect millions of students and have implications for higher education admissions and career opportunities.
Ensuring the integrity of examinations requires secure systems, trained personnel and effective administrative oversight.
The committee’s warning about contractual staffing indicates that it wants CBSE to strengthen its permanent workforce, particularly in areas where confidentiality and institutional accountability are essential.
What Happens Next?
The recommendations of the parliamentary committee will now be considered by the Ministry of Education.
The ministry is expected to respond through an action-taken report, outlining the steps being considered to address the vacancies and other concerns raised by the committee.
The response will be closely watched because the staffing gaps at NCERT and CBSE are not new administrative vacancies alone; they are connected to the functioning of two institutions that play major roles in India’s school education system.
The pace of recruitment, the prioritisation of critical positions and measures to reduce dependence on temporary personnel will be key issues going forward.
NCERT Staff Shortage: Key Takeaways
The parliamentary committee’s findings present a significant warning about institutional capacity within India’s school education system.
At NCERT, 1,596 of 2,844 sanctioned posts were vacant as of October 2025, leaving the organisation with only 1,248 staff members. The vacancies span academic, teaching, ministerial and ancillary categories.
At CBSE, 933 of 2,117 sanctioned posts remain vacant, with 595 of those vacancies in Group C support positions. The committee has specifically raised concerns about CBSE’s dependence on contractual workers for examination-related responsibilities.
Beyond staffing, the report highlights that education spending remains below the 6 per cent of GDP target associated with NEP 2020, while school availability and enrolment decline sharply at higher levels of education.
The committee has called for fast-tracked recruitment at NCERT and CBSE, prioritisation of NCERT vacancies and reduced dependence on temporary staff for sensitive CBSE examination work. It has also recommended expanding higher-secondary school capacity and addressing regional disparities in enrolment.
For the education sector, the report underscores a broader challenge: policy ambitions must be matched by adequate institutional capacity, funding and human resources. As India continues implementing NEP 2020 and reforming its school education system, ensuring that institutions such as NCERT and CBSE have sufficient permanent staff will remain critical to delivering those reforms effectively.
