Campus Times | Lucknow 

A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over the large number of vacant posts at two key institutions overseeing school education in India, warning that prolonged staff shortages could affect their functioning and the implementation of ongoing education reforms.

According to the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, 1,596 of the 2,844 sanctioned posts at the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) remain vacant. This accounts for more than 57% of the organisations sanctioned strength.

The situation is also significant at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where 933 posts are vacant against a sanctioned strength of 2,117, leaving around 44% of positions unfilled.

Panel calls for faster recruitment

The committee has recommended that the government take prompt steps to fill the vacancies, emphasising that adequate manpower is essential for the effective functioning of institutions responsible for shaping and implementing education policy.

The panel highlighted NCERTs role in supporting the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and advancing educational reforms. It noted that such responsibilities require sufficient human resources to ensure that institutional mandates are carried out efficiently.

Unified regulator proposed for education councils

Beyond staffing issues, the committee has suggested the creation of a Unified Regulator to oversee and coordinate the functioning of 65 education councils.

The proposed mechanism is aimed at improving coordination across the education ecosystem, strengthening regulatory oversight and promoting greater consistency in standards and quality.

Push for stronger three-language policy implementation

The committee has also called for more effective implementation of the three-language policy. It recommended appointing an adequate number of teachers to support language education and creating greater awareness among students and parents about the relevance and objectives of the policy.

The panels recommendations underline the need for sufficient teaching resources and greater stakeholder awareness for the policy to be implemented effectively at the ground level.

Panel flags high dropout trend

The report has further expressed concern over the high proportion of students leaving education before reaching the intermediate level. According to the committee, around 73% of students are reported to drop out before completing this stage.

It has called for a detailed assessment of the factors driving students away from education and urged authorities to develop targeted measures to address those barriers.

The committees observations collectively point to the need for stronger institutional capacity, adequate staffing, coordinated regulation and focused interventions to ensure that education reforms translate into effective outcomes for students across the country.