Over 5,000 Faculty Vacancies for SC, ST, OBC in Central Universities, IITs, IIMs and IIITs: Govt Data

According to the government’s data, as of July 1, 2025, Central Universities alone had 4,889 teaching vacancies for reserved categories, including 711 for Scheduled Castes (SC), 428 for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 1,491 for Other Backward Classes (OBC). This includes 656 vacant professor and associate professor posts meant for SC and ST candidates.

Even as the Central government claims progress under its Mission Mode recruitment drive, data presented in the Rajya Sabha reveals that over 5,000 teaching positions reserved for SC, ST and OBC categories remain vacant across India’s premier higher education institutions, including Central Universities (CUs), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), and AIIMS.

The figures, shared in a written reply by the Ministry of Education to a question by Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, come at a time when opposition leaders such as Rahul Gandhi have repeatedly flagged the large number of unfilled reserved posts in central institutions. The issue has gained momentum with allegations that the government has failed to ensure proper representation of historically marginalised communities in top academic and leadership roles.

According to the government’s data, as of July 1, 2025, Central Universities alone had 4,889 teaching vacancies for reserved categories, including 711 for Scheduled Castes (SC), 428 for Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 1,491 for Other Backward Classes (OBC). This includes 656 vacant professor and associate professor posts meant for SC and ST candidates. Among IIMs, 391 reserved posts remain unfilled, including 92 for SC, 53 for ST, and 164 for OBC faculty. The IIITs reported 468 vacancies for reserved categories.

While IITs did not provide specific consolidated vacancy numbers in the reply, the government clarified that the elite tech institutes follow a rolling recruitment process. However, under Mission Mode drives launched in August 2021 and extended from September 2022, IITs, IIMs, IIITs, and CUs were instructed to fast-track the filling of backlog vacancies, particularly for SC, ST, and OBC posts. Despite these drives, gaps persist.

Reserved Category Faculty Vacancies in Central Institutions (as on July 1, 2025)

Summary of Reserved Faculty Posts Filled Under Mission Mode (Till July 12, 2025)

The government informed that since the launch of Mission Mode hiring, 20,712 posts have been filled across CUs, IITs, IIMs, and IIITs, including 11,930 faculty posts, of which 1,458 were filled by SC candidates, 619 by STs, and 2,452 by OBCs. However, this still leaves a significant number of seats unfilled, raising questions about institutional commitment and outreach effectiveness.

Additionally, the AIIMS Delhi reported 730 vacancies for reserved categories among faculty and resident doctors, with 250 for SCs, 115 for STs, and 350 for OBCs.

The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers Cadre) Act, 2019 mandates 15% reservation for SCs, 7.5% for STs, and 27% for OBCs, in addition to 10% for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Despite this, experts and opposition leaders argue that enforcement remains inconsistent across institutions, particularly at senior levels like Professors, Associate Professors, and administrative posts like Registrars and Vice-Chancellors.

As the government continues to highlight employment achievements under Rozgar Melas and institutional expansion, the data underscores an uncomfortable truth—representation of SC, ST, and OBC communities in India’s top academic institutions remains far from proportional, and corrective measures may need stronger implementation and accountability.