Notwithstanding repeated claims by the authorities about improving infrastructure in government-run educational institutions, nearly 15,000 teaching posts are lying vacant in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a written reply to a question by BJP member Rajeev Jasrotia, Education Minister Sakina Itoo informed the Legislative Assembly that 14,943 teaching posts, including 12,977 teachers and 1,946 Masters, are currently vacant in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister stated that 4,992 teacher posts are vacant in the Kashmir division, while 7,985 posts are lying vacant in the Jammu division.
In the Kashmir division, Anantnag has the highest number of vacancies at 1,016, followed by Budgam (797), Pulwama (764), and Kupwara (621). Srinagar has 535 vacancies, Bandipora 310, Baramulla 284, Shopian 256, Ganderbal 244, and Kulgam 165, taking the divisional total to 4,992.
In the Jammu division, Rajouri tops the list with 1,416 vacancies, followed by Kathua (1,332) and Jammu district (1,234). Udhampur has 912 vacancies, Poonch 946, Doda 866, Reasi 479, Samba 345, Kishtwar 312, and Ramban 143, bringing the total for the division to 7,985.
The Minister informed the House that all available and anticipated teacher vacancies are being utilised to facilitate the transition of Teacher Grade-II and Teacher Grade-III posts.
Additionally, 1,946 promotional vacancies of Masters are under process, of which 1,722 pertain to the Kashmir division and 224 to the Jammu division. In Kashmir, Kupwara has the highest number of promotional vacancies at 352, followed by Anantnag (316) and Budgam (198). In the Jammu division, Jammu district accounts for 44 such vacancies, followed by Rajouri (32), Kathua (29), Udhampur (24), and Poonch (22), among others.
The government stated that all promotional vacancies of Masters are being filled through Divisional Level Departmental Promotion Committees (DPCs) in accordance with prescribed rules.
The Assembly was further informed that 130 Principal posts, 1,931 Lecturer posts, 66 Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) posts, and 556 Headmaster posts are also lying vacant in the department.
Responding to a query on whether the government intends to regularise the services of ad hoc or contractual lecturers engaged under academic arrangements who have completed five years of uninterrupted service, the Minister said that the School Education Department had engaged contractual lecturers and teachers on an academic arrangement basis in recent academic sessions.
However, she clarified that since 2019, no contractual lecturers or teachers have been engaged by the department. To address the staff shortage, the department has instead hired Cluster Resource Coordinators (CRCs) and subject-specific teachers under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, a centrally sponsored scheme with a funding pattern of 90:10.
