**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to a parliamentary question regarding the filling of faculty vacancies in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It outlines the government's actions following a Supreme Court directive to fill vacancies within four months. The response details measures taken by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to address faculty shortages, including forwarding the Supreme Court order to relevant bodies and implementing recruitment drives. The stated deadline for filling positions, referenced in the context of "Mission Mode" recruitment, falls by 24.10.2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Supreme Court Directive:**
* The Supreme Court of India issued directions under Article 142 to fill faculty vacancies in public and private HEIs and Universities within four months (no specific date given).
* The Ministry of Education forwarded the Supreme Court order (dated 15.01.2026) to all Regulatory Bodies, Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions, State & UT Governments for compliance.
* **Responsibilities and Autonomous Institutions:**
* Both the Central and State/UT governments are responsible for HEIs, as education is a concurrent subject.
* Central Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs) are statutory autonomous organizations governed by their respective Central Acts.
* Faculty recruitment in autonomous institutions is done within the institutions, with recruitment powers vested in their governing boards.
* **Measures to Attract Faculty:**
* Centrally financed HEIs have implemented measures, including year-round advertisements, search-cum-selection procedures, special recruitment drives, and invitations to alumni/scientists/faculty.
* The UGC launched the "CU-CHAYAN" portal to list vacancies across Central Universities, promoting transparency.
* **Mission Mode Recruitment:**
* In August 2021, CHEIs were requested to fill backlog vacancies in Mission Mode, including vacancies for SCs, STs, and OBCs.
* Since September 2022, CHEIs, including Central Universities, IITs, IIMs, and NITs, have undertaken Mission Mode recruitment drives.
* Up to 24.10.2025, a total of 29979 posts have been filled by all CHEIs, including 17494 faculty positions.
* CUs, IITs, IIMs and NITs collectively have filled up 28024 posts including 16594 faculty positions by 24.10.2025.
**Impact Analysis**
**Impact: Regulatory Bodies of Higher Education, Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions, State & UT Governments**
*Action Required:* Comply with the Supreme Court's order to fill faculty vacancies within the stipulated timeframe.
**Impact: Central Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs), Central Universities (CUs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs)**
*Action Required:* Continue ongoing "Mission Mode" recruitment drives to fill faculty vacancies. Utilize the "CU-CHAYAN" portal for recruitment transparency.
**Impact: Ministry of Education**
*Action Required:* Monitor the progress of vacancy filling in HEIs and ensure compliance with the Supreme Court's directives.
Key Entities Referenced
CU-CHAYAN: The common portal launched by UGC for faculty recruitment.
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Public and private institutions subject to Supreme Court directions regarding faculty vacancies.
Ministry of Education: The ministry responsible for addressing faculty shortages in Central Higher Education Institutions.
Supreme Court of India: The court that issued directions under Article 142 regarding faculty vacancies, prompting this parliamentary question.
Central Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs): The organizations under the Ministry of Education, including Central Universities, responsible for faculty recruitment and backlog vacancies
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1476
ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026
Filling up of Faculty Vacancies in Higher Education Institutions
1476. Dr. M P Abdussamad Samadani:
Shri Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has taken note of the recent directions issued by the Supreme Court
of India under Article 142 regarding filling up of vacant faculty vacancies in public and
private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Universities within four months, if so, the
details thereof;
(b) the total number of sanctioned and vacant teaching posts and vacancy percentage in Central
Universities and State Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes
of Management (IIMs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other centrally funded
HEIs, as on date, institution-wise and State/UT-wise;
(c) whether any timelines, monitoring mechanisms or penalties have been prescribed by the
Government for filling up these vacancies in compliance with UGC norms and the directions
of the Supreme Court, if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to address chronic faculty shortages that adversely affect
academic quality and well-being of students of HEIs in the country?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (d): Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, vide communication dated 27.01.2026, Registry
Section of Supreme Court has forwarded copy of Order dated 15.01.2026 in the matter of Criminal
Appeal No. 1425/2025 in SLP (Criminal) No. 13324/2024 to all Regulatory Bodies of Higher
Education for compliance.
Department of Higher Education has, on 05.02.2026, also forwarded copy of Order dated
15.01.2026 of Hon’ble Supreme Court, to all Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions,
Regulatory Bodies of Higher & Technical Education, State & UT Governments, for compliance.
Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, both the Centre and States/
UTs are responsible for the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country.
The Central Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs) under Ministry of Education including Central
Universities are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts ofParliament and governed by provisions of the Acts/Statutes/Ordinances/Regulations made
thereunder. As autonomous institutions, faculty recruitment (including Associate Professors) is
done within the institutions itself, in accordance with their Acts and Regulations. The recruitment
powers vests with the respective Board of Governors/Executive Committee/Board of Management
and no active role of the Ministry is involved therein.
State Universities are established through respective State Acts and vacances therein are filled by
concerned State Governments/Universities themselves. Vacancy details of State Universities are
not maintained centrally.
In Centrally financed Higher Education Institutions, measures have been taken to attract quality
faculties which includes year-round open advertisements, recruitment through search-cum-
selection procedures, special recruitment drive, mission mode recruitment and invitation to
alumni/scientists/faculty, etc. The faculty recruitment processes are carried out by the CHEIs by
inviting applications in a transparent manner, as part of a multi-step and robust screening process.
The Acts and Statutes of various institutions specify the composition of selection committees,
authorities responsible for recruitment of various levels of faculty, provision of independent
subject experts and Visitor’s nominees etc. so as to ensure transparency and academic rigour in
recruitments. UGC has launched a common portal ‘CU-CHAYAN’ for faculty recruitment,
making provision for listing of vacancies/ advertisements/ jobs across all Central Universities, thus
making the entire recruitment process more transparent and accessible.
In August, 2021, all CHEIs under Ministry of Education were requested to undertake special drive
to fill backlog vacancies in their institutions in Mission Mode. The CHEIs undertook special
recruitment drives to fill the vacancies including of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes
(STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). In September 2022, Ministry of Education had also
exhorted all the CHEIs to fill up the vacancies in Mission Mode. From September 2022, all CHEIs
including Central Universities (CUs), IITs, IIMs and NITs have undertaken Mission Mode
recruitment drive to fill the vacancies. Up to 24.10.2025 (i.e. the date of 17th tranche of Rozgar
Mela), a total number of 29979 posts have been filled up by all CHEIs, including 17494 faculty
positions, in Mission Mode. Out of these 29979 posts, during the said period, CUs, IITs, IIMs and
NITs collectively have filled up 28024 posts including 16594 faculty positions.
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