Executive Summary:
This document addresses questions regarding teaching posts in Central Universities over the last ten years (2014-2025), including advertised posts, posts declared NCS/NFS, and reasons for such declarations. It highlights the increase in sanctioned faculty posts and efforts to fill vacancies, particularly in reserved categories, through special recruitment drives. The Central Educational Institutions Reservation in Teachers Cadre Act, 2019, plays a key role in reservation policies.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Faculty Posts and Vacancies:**
* Sanctioned faculty posts increased from 16324 in 2014 to 18951 in 2025.
* Faculty vacancies decreased from 36.04% in 2014 to 25.8% in 2025.
* Sanctioned faculty posts for SC, ST, and OBC categories increased from 4701 in 2014 to 7153 in 2025.
* Filled posts in reserved categories increased from 1909 in 2014 to 4523 in 2025.
* Over 8150 faculty positions filled in all categories via special recruitment drives.
* **Central Educational Institutions Reservation in Teachers Cadre Act, 2019:**
* Notified on 09.07.2019, providing reservation for SCs, STs, OBCs, and EWS in direct recruitment.
* Treats University/Central Educational Institution as a unit for reservation, not individual departments.
* Extended reservation to OBCs in recruitment at Associate Professor and Professor levels from 2019.
* Unfilled reserved posts are readvertised as backlog vacancies until filled.
* Mandatory PhD condition for Assistant Professor positions has been relaxed.
* **Recruitment and Selection Process:**
* Open advertisements are used to invite applications.
* Selection Committees make recommendations based on candidate suitability.
* Appointments are made based on Selection Committee recommendations.
* UGC Regulation on Minimum Qualifications for appointment of teachers (2018) ensures a transparent selection procedure.
* Selection Committees include representatives from SC/ST/OBC/minority/women/differently-abled categories if candidates from these categories are applicants.
* **Governance and Monitoring:**
* Central Universities are autonomous organizations governed by their respective Central Acts and UGC guidelines.
* Administrative and academic decisions are taken with the approval of statutory bodies.
* The Ministry of Education and UGC regularly monitor institutions and advise Central Universities to fill vacancies.
Impact Analysis:
* **Central Universities:**
* *Impact:* Required to adhere to the Central Educational Institutions Reservation in Teachers Cadre Act, 2019, and UGC guidelines for faculty recruitment. They are also expected to participate in special recruitment drives to fill vacancies, particularly in reserved categories.
* *Action Required:* Implement reservation policies, ensure transparent recruitment processes, and regularly report vacancy status to the Ministry of Education and UGC.
* **Applicants (SCs, STs, OBCs, EWS, PwD):**
* *Impact:* Benefit from reservation policies and special recruitment drives aimed at increasing representation in faculty positions.
* *Action Required:* Apply for advertised positions and provide necessary documentation to support their eligibility under reserved categories.
* **Ministry of Education and UGC:**
* *Impact:* Responsible for monitoring the implementation of reservation policies and the filling of faculty vacancies in Central Universities.
* *Action Required:* Continue to monitor vacancy rates, provide guidance to Central Universities, and ensure compliance with reservation policies.
Key Entities Referenced
Central Universities: Universities established under Central Acts of Parliament, governed by their Acts, Statutes, and Ordinances, and regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
University Grants Commission (UGC): A statutory body that provides regulations and guidelines for universities and monitors institutions. It regulates minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic staff in Universities and Colleges, 2018
Scheduled Castes (SCs): A group of historically disadvantaged communities recognized by the Indian Constitution, for whom reservations are provided in educational institutions and government jobs.
Scheduled Tribes (STs): A group of historically disadvantaged indigenous communities recognized by the Indian Constitution, for whom reservations are provided in educational institutions and government jobs.
Other Backward Classes (OBCs): A group of socially and educationally disadvantaged communities recognized by the Indian government, for whom reservations are provided in educational institutions and government jobs.
Economically Weaker Sections (EWS): A category of individuals from the general category who meet certain economic criteria, for whom reservations are provided in educational institutions and government jobs.
The Central Educational Institutions Reservation in Teachers Cadre Act, 2019: An Act that provides for reservation of posts in direct recruitment for SCs, STs, OBCs and EWS in the Teachers Cadre of Central Educational Institutions established, maintained, or aided by the Central Government.
Ministry of Education: The government ministry responsible for education in India. This ministry is responsible for monitoring the institutions and advising the Central Universities from time to time to fill up the vacancies in regular mode.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2400
ANSWERED ON-04/08/2025
NCS/NFS Posts in Central Universities
2400. Shri Rahul Gandhi:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of teaching posts advertised in each Central University during the last ten
years, post-wise (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor), category-wise (UR, SC,
ST, OBC, EWS and PwD) and year-wise;
(b) the total number of advertised teaching posts declared as No Candidate Shortlisted (NCS) or
Not Found Suitable (NFS), academic position-wise, category-wise, university-wise and year-wise;
(c) the number of instances where Central Universities did not provide any reasons for declaring
positions as NCS or NFS during the recruitment process; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (d): Government of India has substantially increased the sanctioned faculty posts to 18951
in 2025 from 16324 in 2014. Despite 16% increase in total sanctioned faculty posts, the faculty
vacancies reduced from 36.04% in 2014 to 25.8% by 2025. There is a similar increase of 52% in
sanctioned faculty posts for SC, ST, OBC categories from 4701 in 2014 to 7153 in 2025. Concerted
efforts have also been made to fill up the vacant teaching posts and there is 136.9% increase in
filled posts in the reserved category faculty posts from 1909 in 2014 to 4523 in 2025. Further,
more than 8150 faculty positions have been filled in all categories in Central Universities through
special recruitment drives under mission recruitment. The Central Educational Institutions
(Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Act, 2019 has been notified on 09.07.2019 which provides for
reservation of posts in direct recruitment for persons belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs),
Scheduled Tribes (STs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and Economically Weaker Sections
(EWS) in the Teacher’s Cadre of Central Educational Institutions established, maintained, or aided
by the Central Government. This Act removes the difficulty regarding the reservation of posts in
appointment by treating University/Central Educational Institution as a unit for the purpose of
reservation instead of individual departments. Further, by this Act from the year 2019, reservationwas provided to Other Backward Class (OBC) in recruitment in Associate Professor and Professor
level. Earlier reservation to OBC was only in Assistant Professor level. Posts reserved for a
particular category can only be filled by eligible persons of that particular category; any unfilled
post belonging to any of the reserved category will continue to be readvertised as backlog
vacancies in that particular reserved category in next cycle(s) of recruitment until filled. Further,
the mandatory condition of PhD for Assistant Professor has also been relaxed.
Applications are invited through an open advertisement(s); the eligible candidates can apply.
Selection Committees, duly constituted for recruitment under the relevant provisions, make
recommendations regarding suitability of the candidates for the post(s) and accordingly,
appointments are made on the basis of the recommendations of the Selection Committees. The
UGC Regulation on “Minimum Qualifications for appointment of teachers and other academic
staff in Universities and Colleges, 2018” provide for a transparent and objective selection
procedure. As per said UGC Regulation 2018, Selection Committee for appointment of teachers
among others consists of representatives of SC/ST/OBC/minority/women/differently-able
categories, if any of candidates from any of this category is an applicant.
Central Universities are statutory autonomous organisations established under the respective
Central Acts of Parliament and governed by the provisions of the Acts, Statutes, Ordinances made
thereunder. Administrative and academic decisions are taken by the Central Universities with the
approval of statutory bodies in accordance with statutory provisions and the relevant
regulations/guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Occurrence of vacancies and
filling up of posts is a continuous process. Ministry of Education and University Grants
Commission (UGC) regularly monitor the institutions and the Central Universities are advised
from time to time to fill up the vacancies in regular mode.
****