Parliament Question: Vacant Posts of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars and Academic and Administrators in HEIs

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5842 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026 Vacant Posts of Vice-Chancellors and Registrars and Academic and Administrators in HEI

5842. Ms Sayani Ghosh:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) the sanctioned, filled and vacant posts of Vice-Chancellors, Registrars and other key academic and administrators in Central Universities, Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other Central Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) along with the duration of vacancy in each case;

(b) the break-up of vacant faculty posts, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes

(ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in these institutions, social category-wise and institution-wise;

(c) whether it is a fact that many HEIs in the country are functioning for prolonged periods with acting or additional-charge appointments and if so, the reasons therefor; and

(d) the average time taken to complete recruitment for faculty and leadership positions in these institutions during the last five year? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (d) The Central Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs) under Ministry of Education including Central Universities, IITs, IIMs and NITs are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament and governed by provisions of the Acts/Statutes/Ordinances/Regulations etc. made thereunder. As autonomous institutions, faculty recruitment is done within the institutions itself, in accordance with their Acts and Regulations.

The authority for recruitment to these posts vests with the respective Board of Governors/Executive Committee/Board of Management.Occurring of vacancies and filling thereof is a continuous process. The vacancies arise due to promotion, retirement, resignation, death, opening of new institutions, schemes or projects, and additional requirements on account of enhanced students’ strength and expansion of capacity in existing institutions. From January 2025 to December 2025, regular Vice Chancellors/ Directors have been appointed in 20 Central Universities (including IGNOU), IITs, IIMs and IIITs.

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), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EWS). In September 2022, Ministry of Education had also exhorted all the CHEIs to fill up the vacancies in Mission Mode. In October 2025, all the CHEIs have again been requested to fill up all the backlog vacancies in Mission Mode. From September 2022, all CHEIs including Central Universities, have undertaken Mission Mode recruitment drive to fill the vacancies. Up to 24.01.2026 (i.e. the date of last Rozgar Mela), a total number of 30720 posts (3692 SC, 1561 ST, 6451 OBC, 1154 EWS) have been filled up by all CHEIs, including 17878 faculty positions (2216 SC, 872 ST, 3778 OBC, 549 EWS), in Mission Mode. Out of these 30720 filled up posts, a total number of 28666 posts (3460 SC, 1487 ST, 6022 OBC, 1099 EWS) have been filled up by CUs, IITs, IIMs and NITs collectively, including 16931 faculty positions (2086 SC, 835 ST, 3559 OBC and 519 EWS).

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