3 min readNew DelhiAug 13, 2026 01:00 PM IST
More than half of the sanctioned posts at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) are vacant, while 44 per cent of positions at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) remain unfilled, a parliamentary committee has said, flagging staff shortages at the two key school education bodies.
The findings are part of the Tenth Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) of the Committee on Estimates (2026-27) on ‘Budget and Policy Aspects for Providing Affordable and Quality Education in the Country including Review of Central Board of Secondary Education’, which was presented in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The committee, as per news agency PTI, noted that NCERT plays a key role in shaping education policy and curriculum in the country, including the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The Education Ministry informed the panel that NCERT has developed the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCFFS) and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE). It has also initiated the development of syllabi and textbooks based on these frameworks and aligned with the vision of NEP 2020.
However, the committee expressed concern over the large number of vacancies at various levels in NCERT.
Read | NCERT textbook delays, application-based exams widen curriculum gap, says parliamentary panel
As of October 2025, against a sanctioned strength of 2,844 posts across NCERT’s various branches, only 1,248 were filled, leaving 1,596 vacancies, according to the report. Of the vacant posts, 145 were in academic positions, 131 in school teaching, 916 in ministerial posts and 404 in ancillary positions.
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“The Committee are of the view that having so many posts vacant in NCERT which is an apex body instrumental in rethinking and reshaping education in a manner that is national in scope, deserve urgent attention of the Ministry,” the report said.
The committee urged the Ministry of Education to make concerted efforts to fill the vacancies, considering the role of NCERT in shaping the country’s education system.
Meanwhile, the panel also flagged a “major shortage” of permanent staff at CBSE.
Of the 2,117 sanctioned positions at the Board, 933, or 44 per cent, were vacant, the report said. The largest shortage was among Group C support staff, with 595 positions unfilled. The committee noted that CBSE was relying on temporary and contractual employees to manage its day-to-day operations.
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“The Committee are of the view that such shortage of permanent staff may put the safety, quality, and smooth running of major national board exams at serious risk,” it said.
The panel recommended that CBSE stop relying on temporary contractual workers for sensitive examination-related work and fill vacant positions through fast-track recruitment in a time-bound manner.
It also noted that CBSE is a self-funded autonomous body and does not receive grant-in-aid from the Ministry of Education.
The committee further noted that the number of schools affiliated with CBSE has increased sharply from 3,787 in 1992-93 to 31,234 in 2024-25, as of October 8, 2025. CBSE now operates through 25 regional offices and five sub-regional offices to meet the requirements of its growing network of schools and students.
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The panel said the number of students had also increased, with more than 17 lakh students in Class 12 and over 23.8 lakh students in Class 10 in 2025.
— with inputs from PTI