Lok Sabha Question No. 414 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-02
Subject: Vacant Post of Associate Professors in Education Institutions
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 414 ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026

## Vacant Post of Associate Professors in Education Institutions

## †414. Dr. Faggan Singh Kulaste:

## Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  post  of  Associate  Professors  in  Central  Universities/State Universities/Higher Education  Institutions  receiving  grant-in-aid  are  lying  vacant  at  present  in various categories (General, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections) in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the total number of posts lying vacant, category-wise and institution-wise;

- (c) the steps taken so far by the Government to fill these vacant positions;
- (d) whether any specific timeline has been set for filling-up these posts; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a)  to  (e)  The  Central  Higher  Education  Institutions  (CHEIs)  under  Ministry  of  Education including Central Universities are statutory autonomous organizations established under respective Central Acts of Parliament 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.

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.

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.

The Government notified the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Act,  2019  on  09.07.2019  to  provide  for  the  reservation  of  posts  in  appointments  of  persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, the socially and educationally backward classes and the economically weaker sections, to teachers' cadre in these CHEIs. The reservation is provided in teachers cadre to the extent of 15% for SCs, 7.5% for STs, 27% for socially and educationally backward classes and 10% for Economically weaker sections, as per notification dated 12.7.2019 issued in pursuance of the said Act.

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. In October 2025, all the CHEIs have again been requested to fill up all the backlog vacancies in Mission Mode within a period of one  year.    From  September  2022,  all  CHEIs  including  Central  Universities  have  undertaken Mission Mode recruitment drive to fill the vacancies. Up to 24.10.2025 (i.e. the date of 17 th 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, the Central Universities alone have filled up 12604 posts including 8327 faculty positions.

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