Two of India's premier school education institutions are grappling with a severe manpower crunch, according to a recent parliamentary report. The Estimates Committee (2026-27) highlighted that thousands of sanctioned posts remain vacant in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The committee cautioned that this acute shortage of permanent staff poses serious risks to operational efficiency, academic curriculum design, and the integrity of national board examinations.
Over Half of Sanctioned Posts Vacant in NCERT
In its 10th report focusing on budgetary and policy aspects for providing affordable and quality education, the parliamentary committee highlighted a disturbing trend in NCERT. Despite playing a pivotal role in formulating national educational policies, including the execution of the National Education Policy 2020, NCERT is running at less than half its required capacity. As of October 2025, against a sanctioned strength of 2,844 posts, only 1,248 positions were filled, leaving 1,596 vacancies.
A breakdown of the 1,596 vacant posts reveals shortages across crucial cadres. Academic positions account for 145 vacancies, while 131 school teaching positions lie unfilled. The largest deficit exists in the administrative and support categories, with 916 administrative posts and 404 support staff vacancies. The committee urged the Ministry of Education to give immediate attention to this issue and initiate earnest recruitment efforts to restore the council's functional capacity.
CBSE Shortage and Over-Reliance on Contractual Staff
The situation in CBSE is equally concerning, with 933 out of 2,117 sanctioned posts lying vacant, representing a 44 percent vacancy rate. The most critical shortage is in the Group C support category, where 595 posts remain unfilled. To handle routine administration and examination processing, CBSE has increasingly relied on temporary and contractual staff, a practice criticized by the parliamentary panel.
The committee warned that using temporary staff for sensitive exam-related responsibilities threatens the security, confidentiality, and smooth execution of board examinations. It recommended that CBSE immediately stop relying on contractual workers for sensitive operations and implement a time-bound recruitment drive to fill all 933 vacant positions with permanent personnel.
Rapid Institutional Expansion Outstrips Staffing
The report emphasized that CBSE's administrative load has multiplied over the decades. The number of affiliated schools grew dramatically from 3,787 in 1992-93 to 31,234 by October 8, 2025. To manage this expanding footprint, CBSE now operates through 25 regional offices and five sub-regional offices across the country.
Student enrollment has similarly surged, with Class 12 candidates exceeding 17 lakh and Class 10 candidates crossing 23 lakh by 2025. While noting that CBSE functions as a self-funded autonomous institution without direct ministry grants, the committee cautioned that managing examinations for over 40 lakh students without adequate permanent staff endangers educational standards and institutional stability.
