Lok Sabha Question No. 321 (STARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Shortage of Teachers
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 321 ANSWERED ON 24/03/2025

## Shortage of Teachers

## *321. SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE: SMT. SHAMBHAVI:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of vacant posts for primary and secondary school teachers across the country, State-wise including Maharashtra;
- (b) whether the vacant post of teachers impacted the quality of education, student-teacher ratio, and overall learning outcomes in Government schools and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of States that are facing severe shortage of teachers and the reasons therefor;
- (d) whether the Government has issued any specific directives to State Governments to fill up these vacancies;
- (e) whether the Government has any mechanisms to ensure timely recruitment, Transparency and merit-based selection;
- (f) the steps being taken by the Government to fill up these vacant posts at the earliest; and
- (g) whether the Government has any timeline to fill these posts ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

- (a) to (g): A statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (g)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  321  ANSWERED  ON  24/03/2025  ASKED  BY  HON'BLE MEMBER  OF PARLIAMENT SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE AND SMT. SHAMBHAVI REGRADING 'SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS'.

(a) to (g): Education being a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, an overwhelming majority  of  the  schools  in  the  country  comes  under  the  administrative  control  of  States/UTs. Therefore, the recruitment, service conditions and rational deployment of teachers come under the purview of the respective State governments/UT administrations. Further, recruitment is a continuous process  and  vacancies  arise  due  to  a  number  of  factors  like  retirement,  resignation,  increased requirement of teachers because of the enhanced students' strength, etc. The data regarding the vacant posts  of  primary  and  secondary  school  teachers  across  the  country,  including  the  State  of Maharashtra, are maintained by the respective States/UTs.

The Government through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha, provides financial assistance to the States and UTs to maintain appropriate Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) for various levels of schooling, as per norms prescribed in the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, as amended from time to time.

Para 2.3 of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 has emphasized to ensure a pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) of under 30:1 in each school and a PTR of under 25:1 for areas having large numbers of socioeconomically disadvantaged students. The PTR of the country has improved from 27:1 as per the UDISE+ 2022-23 report to 25:1 as per the UDISE+ 2023-24 report.

The Government also requests States/UTs to fill vacant posts of teachers, from time to time, to ensure timely recruitment of teachers by adopting a transparent and merit-based process through autonomous teacher recruitment boards. In order to ensure merit/quality among teachers, the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) vide Gazette notification dated 23 rd August, 2010, as amended from time to time, has laid down minimum qualification for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher.

The progress regarding filling up of teacher vacancies through a competitive selection examination conducted by States/UTs on a mission mode, with due care for consistency and sanctity and after a technology based comprehensive  teacher  requirement planning and forecasting exercise, is periodically reviewed through regular meetings with States/UTs as well as through advisories.

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