More than half of the sanctioned positions at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) are lying vacant, while nearly 44 per cent of approved posts at the Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) remain unfilled, according to a parliamentary panel that has raised concerns over manpower shortages at both key education bodies.
The observations were made in the Tenth Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Estimates for 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 tabled in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The panel highlighted NCERT’s significant contribution to India’s education system and its role in shaping major policy initiatives, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
According to information provided by the Ministry of Education, NCERT has prepared the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCFFS) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE). It has also begun work on developing syllabi and textbooks aligned with these frameworks and the objectives of NEP 2020.
However, the committee expressed serious concern over the large number of unfilled posts within NCERT.
As of October 2025, NCERT had an approved strength of 2,844 positions across its various branches, but only 1,248 were occupied. This left 1,596 posts vacant, including 145 academic positions, 131 school teaching posts, 916 ministerial positions and 404 ancillary posts, reported PTI.
The committee said the scale of vacancies at NCERT, an apex institution responsible for shaping education at the national level, requires immediate attention from the Education Ministry. It called for concerted efforts to fill the vacant positions, stressing that education is a key driver of national development and that NCERT has an important role in advancing this transformation.
The panel also pointed to a substantial shortage of permanent employees at CBSE. Of the board’s 2,117 sanctioned positions, 933, or about 44 per cent, were vacant. The largest gap was among Group C support staff, where 595 positions remained unfilled.
The committee noted that CBSE has consequently been depending on temporary and contractual employees for its routine operations. It warned that inadequate permanent staffing could affect the security, quality and efficient conduct of major national-level board examinations.
The panel recommended that CBSE reduce its dependence on contractual personnel, particularly for sensitive examination-related duties, and fill vacant posts through a time-bound, fast-track recruitment process.
The report also noted that CBSE operates as a self-financed autonomous organisation and does not receive grant-in-aid from the Education Ministry.
At the same time, the board has witnessed substantial expansion over the years. The number of CBSE-affiliated schools rose from 3,787 in 1992-93 to 31,234 in 2024-25, as of October 8, 2025.
To manage its expanding network and student population, CBSE now operates through 25 regional offices and five sub-regional offices. By 2025, more than 1.70 million students were enrolled in Class XII and over 2.38 million in Class X, underscoring the scale of the board’s responsibilities and the need for adequate permanent staffing.
