Executive Summary:
This document is the response to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 281 regarding vacant posts in the Department of Health, answered on August 8, 2025. It details the percentage of filled posts, recruitment efforts, newly appointed professionals, and measures to attract talent to the public health sector. The response provides data for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026, outlining ongoing recruitment processes and incentives for health professionals.
Key Points / Main Content:
Staffing Levels:
* Out of 1,451 sanctioned posts in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, 1,101 are filled, representing approximately 75.88% of the sanctioned strength.
Recruitment Efforts:
* Filling vacant posts is an ongoing process with regular assessments and requisitions sent to UPSC, NTA, SSC, and other recruiting agencies.
* UPSC conducts the Combined Medical Services Examination (CMSE) and interviews for various posts.
* Under Mission Recruitment, 8,796 vacancies were filled in 2024-2025, and 1,678 vacancies have been filled in 2025-2026.
Measures to Attract Talent:
* Vacant posts are advertised in Employment News and major newspapers.
* Time-bound promotions are in place under the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) Scheme, up to the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) level.
* Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) benefits are extended to Central Health Service (CHS) doctors up to the Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) level.
* Doctors are encouraged to participate in international seminars and conferences.
* CHS doctors receive specialized allowances, including Annual Allowance, Post Graduate Allowance, Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA), and Conveyance Allowance.
* Leave is provided for higher studies, including Extraordinary Leave (EOL) and Study Leave.
* Social media platforms are used to disseminate vacancy notifications.
State/UT Support:
* The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare provides financial and technical support to States/UTs under the National Health Mission (NHM).
* Incentives and honorariums are provided to health professionals under NHM, including hard area allowances and honorariums for specialists in rural areas.
* States can offer negotiable salaries and non-monetary incentives like preferential PG admissions for staff in difficult areas.
* Multiskilling of doctors and skill upgradation are supported under NHM.
Impact Analysis:
Department of Health and Family Welfare:
* Impact: Responsible for ongoing recruitment and implementation of measures to attract talent.
* Action Required: Continue assessing vacancies, sending requisitions to recruiting agencies, advertising vacancies, and implementing incentive programs.
Health Professionals (Doctors):
* Impact: Benefit from time-bound promotions, specialized allowances, leave for higher studies, and opportunities for professional development.
* Action Required: Participate in recruitment processes, apply for promotions and benefits, and engage in continuous professional development.
State/UT Governments:
* Impact: Receive financial and technical support from the Ministry to strengthen healthcare systems and incentivize health professionals.
* Action Required: Develop and implement Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) to utilize NHM support, offer negotiable salaries and incentives, and improve healthcare infrastructure.
UPSC, NTA, SSC, Other Recruiting Agencies:
* Impact: Responsible for conducting recruitment processes and recommending candidates to the Ministry.
* Action Required: Conduct examinations and interviews efficiently and provide lists of recommended candidates to the Ministry in a timely manner.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Health and Family Welfare: A department under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare responsible for health-related policies and programs.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the starred question was raised.
Union Public Service Commission UPSC: A central recruiting agency responsible for conducting examinations and selecting candidates for various government posts.
National Testing Agency NTA: An agency responsible for conducting various entrance exams for higher education and recruitment.
Staff Selection Commission SSC: An organization under the Government of India to recruit staff for various posts in the various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India and in subordinate offices.
Combined Medical Services Examination CMSE: An examination conducted by the UPSC for recruitment to various medical posts under the Central Government.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare MoHFW: The ministry responsible for health and family welfare policies and programs in India.
National Health Mission NHM: A centrally sponsored scheme to address the health needs of under-served rural and urban areas.
GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 281
TOBE ANSWERED ON THE 8THAUGUST,2025
VACANTPOSTS IN DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH
†*281.SHRIKALI CHARAN SINGH:
DR. RAJESH MISHRA:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) the percentage of posts presently filled up against the total number of sanctioned posts in the
Department of Health;
(b) the number of recruitment drives conducted with the aim of filling up the huge number of
backlogvacanciesduring the current year;
(c) the total number of newly appointed health professionals across the Government health
institutions during the current year;and
(d) the details of the innovative measures adopted by the Central and State Governments to attract
fresh talent in the public health sector in the country, State/UT-wise, particularly in Jharkhand and
SidhiLokSabhaConstituency?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
(SHRIJAGATPRAKASH NADDA)
(a) to(d) AStatementislaidonthe Tableof the House.STATEMENTREFERRED TO IN REPLYTO LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 281 FOR8THAUGUST,2025
(a) Atotal number of 1,451posts are sanctioned in the Department of Health and Family Welfare,
out of which 1,101officials are in position, accountingfor approximately 75.88% of the sanctioned
strength.
(b) to (d) Filling up of vacant posts is an ongoing process. Vacancies are regularly assessed and
requisitions are sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), National Testing Agency
(NTA), Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and other recruiting agencies, as per the requirement of
eachcadre andsub-cadre.
The UPSC conducts the Combined Medical Services Examination (CMSE) and interviews
for selection to various posts across different sub-cadres. The list of recommended candidates is
sent to this Ministry, following which, after completion of requisite formalities, Offer of
Appointment lettersare issued tothe selected candidateswith a request tojointheir respective posts
inCentral Government hospitals andinstitutions.
Additionally, various recruitment processes have been undertaken by the health institutions
underthisDepartment through UPSC, SSC,NORCETetc for fillingup of healthcare positions.
Under Mission Recruitment, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has
filled 8796 vacancies in 2024-2025 in various institutes under the Ministry. Further, in 2025-26 till
now 1678vacancieshave beenfilled underthe Mission Recruitment.
The Department of Health and Family Welfare, along with its affiliated health institutions,
hasadoptedthe following measures to attracttalenttothe PublicHealth sector:
1. Advertisements are generally issued in Employment News and in all major news papers to
ensure wide publicityof vacant posts.
2. Time-bound promotions for doctors have been introduced under the Dynamic Assured
Career Progression (DACP) Scheme, without linkage to available vacancies, up to the
SeniorAdministrativeGrade(SAG) level.
3. The benefit of Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) has been extended to Central Health
Service(CHS)doctorsuptothe HigherAdministrativeGrade(HAG) level.
4. Doctors are encouragedtoparticipate ininternationalseminars andconferencesinthe health
sector toenhancetheir professional capabilitiesandsupport careeradvancement.
5. In addition to standard government allowances, CHS doctors are also granted various
specializedallowances,including:
o AnnualAllowance
o Post-GraduateAllowance
o Non-PracticingAllowance(NPA)
o ConveyanceAllowance
6. Provisionfor leave topursue higher studies, including:
o Extraordinary Leave (EOL) for study purposes after completion of three years of
service.
o StudyLeaveafter completionof five yearsof service, asperexisting rules.
7. Extensive use of social media platforms to widely disseminate vacancy notifications and
attractcandidates from across the country.Public Health and Hospitals isa State Subject and the responsibility for strengthening of
healthcare system including recruitment/appointment lies with respective State/UT
Governments. However, Ministry of Health andFamily Welfare, Government of India, provides
financial and technical support to the States/UTs. Under National Health Mission (NHM),
support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare systems based on the
Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) submitted by the States/UTs within their overall
resource envelope.
Various types of incentives and honorarium are provided for encouraging health
professionals inthe countryunderNHM:
Hard area allowance to specialist doctors for serving in rural and remote areas and for
theirresidential quarters.
Honorarium to Gynaecologists/ Emergency Obstetric Care (EmoC) trained,
Paediatricians & Anaesthetist/ Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS) trained doctors is
also provided to increase availability of specialists for conducting Caesarean Sections in
rural & remote area.
Incentives like special incentives for doctors, incentive for ANM for ensuring timely
ANC checkup and recording, incentives for conducting Adolescent Reproductive and
SexualHealthactivities.
States are also allowed tooffer negotiable salary to attract specialist including flexibility
instrategiessuch as"YouQuote We Pay".
Non-Monetary incentives such as preferential admission in post graduate courses for
staff serving in difficult areas and improving accommodation arrangement in rural areas
have also beenintroducedunder NΗΜ.
Multi-skilling of doctors is supported under NHM to overcome the shortage of
specialists. Skill upgradation of existing HR is another major strategy under NHM for
achievingimprovement inhealthoutcomes.
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