A new parliamentary committee report warns of severe staff shortages at India’s key educational bodies, NCERT and CBSE. NCERT has over 1,500 vacancies, while CBSE faces a 44% shortfall, raising concerns about the security and quality of national board examinations.
A parliamentary committee has issued a warning regarding severe manpower deficits at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). These two institutions are central to India’s school education system, and the shortage of permanent staff has prompted calls for immediate corrective action.
The Committee on Estimates highlighted that NCERT is operating with 1,596 vacant positions, which is more than half of its total sanctioned strength. Similarly, CBSE is struggling with 933 vacancies out of 2,117 approved roles. This shortage spans various levels of the organizations, including academic, teaching, and administrative support roles.
The panel emphasized that the heavy dependence on temporary and contractual employees for sensitive tasks, particularly in managing national exams, creates operational risks. The concern is that relying on non-permanent staff could threaten the security, integrity, and quality of board examinations that millions of students take annually. The report suggests that the reliance on temporary workers for critical exam functions should be stopped.
Despite these internal resource constraints, the CBSE's administrative load has grown substantially. The number of schools affiliated with the board has increased from 3,787 in the early 1990s to over 31,000 as of late 2025. With student enrollment for Class X and XII exams reaching millions annually, managing this scale without adequate permanent staffing remains a challenge.
Because NCERT and CBSE are autonomous government bodies rather than publicly listed companies, there is no direct impact on the stock market. However, the operational efficiency of these institutions is essential for the broader education ecosystem. The parliamentary panel has recommended a time-bound, fast-track recruitment process to fill the vacant positions and ensure the stability of the organizations as they continue to support the national education framework.